Well, that Jenna was a Jersey girl from the Kittatinny range
Eyes big and brown, hair hanging down
That girl caused my heart to change
She could swim the mighty Delaware like a hawk across the sky
She was short and sweet, made my knees weak
That girl was my, oh my, oh my
She had snowpeas in her pocket
She had sunlight up her sleeve
She had whiskey in a silver flask
And I knew I couldn't leave
Jenna fed the earth with compost and her dirt was rich and black
And by her side till the day he died
Was her golden dog named Mack
She planted seeds in early spring while the coyotes howled at night
Beneath the moon to a bluegrass tune
She worked her bones until daylight
She had seedlings in her pocket
She had sunlight up her sleeve
She had a river in a silver flask
And I knew I could not leave
That Jenna had a man one time, a troubadour, so they said
He came to town, turned her upside down
And it seemed like they would wed
But eventually it came to be that he done poor Jenna wrong
She found him out, and there was no doubt
He'd have to sing a different song
She had nothing in her pockets
She had her heart on her sleeve
She drank whiskey from a silver flask
And I knew I couldn't leave
Was about that time I came to town, and that Jenna stole my heart
We pulled the weeds, and we planted seeds
And I swore we'd never part
But now and then, when she looks at me, I wonder what I am
A farmer boy? Or a gardener's toy?
I wish I knew, goddamn, goddamn!
She had snowpeas in her pocket
She had sunlight up her sleeve
She had whiskey in a silver flask
And I knew I could not leave
I wrote this song ten years ago; I was young and full of doubt
Hellbent on love and the stars above
I didn't know what life was all about
And now the beans are on the vine and tomatoes bursting red
And Jen and me, we're a family
And our destiny's well fed
And she had me in her pocket
She had nothing up her sleeve
We grew a garden from an empty flask
And I knew I couldn't leave
Yes, I knew I'd never leave
~ Therese Mattil (lyrics) and Kevin Connolly (music)
Happy Birthday to my adorable daughter Jenna! She may still be in the Bahamas now, but she will fly to me next week, and then she and I will road trip our way back north to New Jersey! I can't wait!
Jenna is my adventurer, my free spirit, my wanderer. She is also pragmatic and efficient and extremely smart. From environmentalism to writing/editing to social justice, Jenna walks the walk. She amazes me all the time.
I raised three kids. For reasons I cannot explain, two of them periodically inspired poems from me. And, also for reasons I cannot explain, no poems about Jenna ever rose to the surface. And of course, Jenna being Jenna, she pointed that out to me. Consequently, I set about to write something about her, and the lyrics above are the result of that effort. Now, Jenna would tell you that the song isn't really about her; it's a fictional poem. True, it is. But I tried to capture her spirit, her passion, her vulnerability in the face of her strength. I think I succeeded in that. If nothing else, the song is full of love, and love is what I will forever have for my little girl.
Last year, I offered these lyrics to my son's best friend, Kevin. Sam and Kevin navigated their high school years (in different schools) somewhat as outsiders, not fitting in with the conservative (leaning toward redneck) mood of the area. Not only did they survive, but once leaving the area, they flourished as young adults. Kevin has a degree in music education and is part of a bluegrass band, The Whuppin' Good String Band. Although guitar was Kevin's first love, he has become quite skilled at banjo, which you can hear in the song.
Anyway, Kevin took my lyrics, tweaked them a bit, and came up with this song. To say that I am thrilled with the result would be an understatement. Kevin rocked it! (Or did he bluegrass it?) Recently, Kevin and his band spent some time in the studio, and I am eagerly awaiting the result of that effort. "Snowpeas in Her Pocket" is a featured song on the upcoming CD. Kevin assures me I will receive a portion of the royalties when the song becomes famous!
Thank you, Kevin! And thank you, Jenna, for being an inspiration to me, in so many ways. Happy Birthday! I love you!
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| Photo credit: Lyndsay Cayetana Bouchal |
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