A salt wind blows in from the north, she can almost feel the spray
And the waves are pounding anything that might get in their way
There are no secrets on this island, from the church down to the cove
She has sweetbreads waiting for him, she has coffee on the stove
She walks back from the mailbox, pushes in the kitchen door
The snow and wind follow her aim like they still want something more
She hides the mail in a cupboard, turns on the clock radio
She wants to rush but there is no need, there's too much time to go
She spends an hour in the shower, she puts on her favorite dress
She fixes her hair and makeup until her age becomes a guess
She stops by twice a week for her, stays a while and then he goes
She can't expect more than that, not when the whole island knows
And when she sees his wife downtown, she knows her eyes will never meet
She buys her groceries without a word and does not linger on the street
She speaks to no one now, her intentions plainly known
She'd rather be damned for eternity than spend one more week alone
The wind howls across the yard, the bedroom's cold and dry
He twirls a long hat around his finger before he says goodbye
She wraps his scarf around his neck, slips a wool hat on his head
As he closes the door behind him, she gets up and strips the bed
She is hiding out the laundry as she hopes it does not freeze
Two bedsheets dance around her in the angry winter breeze
Now the sheets wave up to the sky like giant flags of truce
As the winter wind keeps blowing in, she prays nothing pulls loose
The wind howls across the yard, the bedroom's cold and dry
He twirls a long hat around his finger before he says goodbye
She wraps her scarf around his neck, slips a wool hat on his head
As he closes the door behind him, she gets up and strips the bed
She is hiding out the laundry as she hopes it does not freeze