SHE HAD THE WINDOW
AND I HAD THE AISLE
SHE LOOKED
TWENTY-FIVE
BUT SHE WAS SHAKIN'
LIKE A CHILD
WHEN WE TOOK OFF
I LOOKED OVER
AND CLUTCHED
IN HER HANDS
THERE WAS A
CACTUS
IN A COFFEE CAN
SHE WAS HOLDIN'
THAT THING
LIKE IT WAS ALL
SHE HAD
SHE SMILED AT ME
BUT I COULD TELL
SHE WAS SAD
SOMEWHERE
OVER DENVER
I ASKED HER NAME
SHE SAID ELAINA
THEN TOLD ME
SHE CAME
FROM SANTA FE
SHE ORDERED A DRINK
AND A WALL
CAME DOWN
SHE STARTED TALKIN'
AND THE PAIN
POURED OUT
SHE TOLD ME A STORY
I'LL NEVER FORGET
SHE HAD ME IN TEARS
WHEN SHE LOOKED
AT ME
AND SAID
MY MAMA'S FIRST LOVE
WAS CRACK
SHE MADE HER LIVIN'
LYIN' ON HER BACK
SHE GAVE ME AWAY
ON THE DAY
THAT I WAS BORN
SHE SAID
THE LAST TEN YEARS
I SPENT
TRACKIN' HER DOWN
JUST DON'T SEEM FAIR
THAT WHEN I FINALLY
FOUND HER
SHE WAS ALMOST GONE
WE HAD TWO WEEKS
TOGETHER
TO LAUGH AND TO CRY
TWO WEEKS
TO SAY HELLO
AND GOODBYE
SHE GAVE ME
THIS CACTUS
SAID IT'S KIND OF
LIKE ME
IT'LL HURT YOU
TO HOLD IT
BUT IT BLOOMS
EVERY SPRING
SHE SAID
I'M ON MY WAY BACK
TO NEW MEXICO
WAS GONNA SCATTER
HER ASHES
WHERE THE
DESERT WIND BLOWS
BUT I CAME UP
WITH A BETTER PLAN
I'M GONNA KEEP 'EM
IN THE BOTTOM
OF THIS COFFEE CAN
MY MAMA
WAS A TORTURED SOUL
BUT I STILL LOVE HER
EVEN THOUGH
SHE GAVE ME AWAY
ON THE DAY
THAT I WAS BORN
THE PLANE
TOUCHED DOWN
AND WE BOTH GOT OFF
I TOOK HER HAND
AND SAID
SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS
SHE SAID
THANKS FOR LISTENIN'
FOR BEIN' HERE
I'VE BEEN WANTIN'
TO TALK ABOUT HER
FOR SO MANY YEARS
I'LL PROBABLY
NEVER SEE ELAINA
AGAIN
WE MET AS STRANGERS
AND PARTED
AS FRIENDS
AS WE WAVED GOODBYE
I WAS SURE OF
ONE THING
THERE'LL BE A FLOWER
ON THAT CACTUS
COME NEXT SPRING