Lavender

Ramapo, New York, a small town Was rural ... to say the least Where simple folks lived a simple life And most residents could rest in peace But, tonight was prom night and The summer evening was unusually cool As the graduating class of 1953 Gathered at their high school Leisurely, through the winding hamlet Jacky drove the only car his family had And in the passenger seat was Jimmy Wearing a jacket borrowed from his Dad And with more boys than girls That year among their classmates They found themselves out of luck So, neither one brought dates They came upon the old Black Bridge As the clunky car cruised along Until a vision stepped into their view As if she danced to her own song "Hey look at that girl up there," said Jacky Jimmy replied, "Yeah look at that girl up there." With her long blonde hair and slender shape Neither one could help but stare The boys pulled over next to the girl And she said, "Lavender" was her name She wore a homemade prom dress Matching the color, just the same "I am going to a dance tonight." Was all that she had to say "Well," Jimmy replied, "Hop in." "We are headed the same way." She sat in-between the boys Snuggly, shoulder to shoulder Both Jacky and Jimmy could feel That her's were noticeably colder Tonight, the high school was hopping Everyone was dressed up and so excited And Jimmy couldn't wait to show his friends The special guest who had come uninvited But, Jacky knew Jimmy couldn't dance He could never quite get it right Now suddenly he can and yet somehow Something was different about tonight Lavender and Jimmy danced for hours While Jacky looked on with spite Then said to them both, "It's time to go." When the music died just before midnight After piling into the car they noticed That Lavender now felt even colder Even more so than before, so Jimmy Gently placed his jacket on her shoulder He really wanted to see her again But, before he could even speak She leaned in close to Jimmy And quickly kissed him on the cheek Lavender asked to be let out here And Jacky said, "Alright, alright." Not wanting to leave her all alone At the bridge so late on a foggy night She walked away with Jimmy's jacket That was given to him to borrow "Don't worry about it," Jacky said "We'll come back for it tomorrow." The next morning, in an end of town Neither of them had been to before They went about asking for Lavender And knocking door to door No luck to find an answer From the kind folks living there Coyly, they said, "Try that house Dwelled by a woman with silver hair." Curious now they drove along To the only home left up ahead Only one more chance to find her For the end of this road was dead The lady said, "Lavender was her daughter." Puzzled now, the boys looked at one another Because this woman was just too old She had to be her great grandmother For proof, she handed them a frame With a yellowed photograph of Lavender "She loved that color so much," she said "And asked me to make that dress for her." "Lavender was on her way to a dance When so suddenly she was struck ... Practicing her steps along Black Bridge When she was killed by an oncoming truck." "I tell you she was my daughter. She died nearly 40 years ago ... Go take a look around the cemetery Outside of town near Ramapo." And hanging there on Lavender's tombstone Was Jimmy's jacket, the one and the same All they could do was scratch their heads And drive back the way they came ... (Inspired by an old urban legend)