painting her fingernails

she's painting her fingernails waiting for something to happen

listening to love songs and watching the clock on the wall

she could fix a cheese sandwich but someone might ask her to dinner

so

she's painting her fingernails waiting for someone to call

there's a torn

yellowed photograph stuck in the edge of the mirror

by the raggedy ann doll she played with when she was a child

there's a top dresser drawer filled with jewelry

pills

and old letters

and she's painting her fingernails dreaming of paul newman's smile

on her desk is the macrame she started back last december

and the bright gilded christmas card he sent her three years ago

so she stretches her legs in an exercise she's been neglecting

painting her fingernails hoping that grey doesn't show

in the fridge there's what is left of last wednesday night's candle light dinner

on her neck is the love mark he left her to prove he was there

and she should call the dentist and take her red coat to the cleaners

but she's painting her fingernails wondering if anyone cares

then it dawns on her the telephone just might be out of order

so she picks it up

hears the tone and sets it down again

hell

there's lots of other men

and if she has to she can always call a friend

she undresses seductively in front of johnny carson

and smiles goodnight to the bullfighter there on the wall

and she crawls into bed knowing that this time tomorrow

she'll be painting her fingernails waiting for someone to call

she'll be painting her fingernails waiting for someone to call