Adam Dunetz: Recent Episodes
Adam Dunetz
(Prompt: Write a song about the life and/or death of Edna Forbes) Edna Forbes being a fictional character said to have been murdered in Crackerbarrel Alley in 1800's Northampton.
Edna Forbes was the oldest of three They lived in a house on a hill She stayed home to take care of the family While her sisters worked at the mill
Her life was bare Her prospects low She wouldn’t even hope another Daily prayer A god she’d never know A row with her father and mother
Some kids in the neighborhood went to school That’s where they’d learn to read and write Her father was fair but sometimes cruel Edna was expected to heed
And she never knew What it was like To be young and free Like a kid The other girls played On the side of the hill But it didn’t matter What they did
Edna Forbes got married one day To the miller’s son downtown The rain held off but the sky was grey And they danced till the decorations came down
She thought she was making A great escape Trading one life for another Her sisters stayed At home to help Take care of her father and mother
Edna Forbes and the miller’s son They had three girls of their own The daily chores were almost never done And she felt more alone than ever
Sometimes she’d sit By the window and wonder If this is what it meant To be free She’d sometimes feel Something pull her under But she’d stay strong For her family
One day Edna had to go downtown To get a few things for the kitchen She looked for the others, no one was around Normally her daughters would pitch in
Edna never made it home She was jumped By a stranger In the alley The killer and the motive unknown The news spread far and wide Across the valley
Don’t go Edna, don’t go You know no one’s gonna stop you though Don’t go Edna, don’t go Winter’s here it’s 20 below