For Eddy – Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah

He’d been dealt a bad hand
Nearly fifty years old
Cleanin’ glasses at night in a bar
Only one good hand
For to play him his tunes
On a piano all tired out and marred

And the stone angel hung
On the wall up above
Looked out blind
All the nights long
But when the one-armed man played
To an empty saloon
She looked down and smiled
As he played her his songs

Duke, the white Shepherd
Who guarded the room
Never leavin’ the back of the bar
Would climb up on the stage
And curl up around his feet
As to guard him and his music
From harm

And the stone angel hung
On the wall up above
Looked out blind
All the nights long
But when the one-armed man played
To an empty saloon
She looked down and smiled
As he played her his songs

I heard him one night
When he thought to be alone
And I lied and I did him a wrong
I can’t give back the pleasure
His music gave to me
I can only give him this song

He played better with one hand
Than most men with two
Yet made posters for all of the stars
And I wish to my heart
He could play for you
So you’d know just how happy you are

And the stone angel hung
On the wall up above
And me and the big white dog
All stopped once to listen
To the one-armed man play
To their smiles
In an empty saloon