A Simple Hem

[Verse 1]
The sleeve of Mrs. Gable's cashmere coat smells of perfume and fall.
Found a crisp hundred-dollar bill tucked up inside the wall
Of the liner, a perfect crease, Ben Franklin lookin' tired.
My hands are shaking just a bit, my own damn self for hire.

[Chorus]
And a simple hem ain't simple when it's weighing on your soul.
A forgotten piece of paper that could make my Jesse whole.
Just for a week or two.

[Verse 2]
"She won't miss it, Loretta, God, her husband owns the mine."
I hear you pour another coffee on the other end of the line.
"Call it a forgotten tip, a little gift from fate.
You ain't stealin' if it's lost." But it's already gettin' late.

[Chorus]
'Cause a simple hem ain't simple when it's weighing on your soul.
A forgotten piece of paper that could make my Jesse whole.
Just for a week or two.

[Bridge]
My grandmomma taught me lockstitch, said "It keeps a seam from runnin'."
But the thread of what is right and what we need is just so stunningly
Tangled up. One little rip in the fabric of my pride.
There's nowhere for a mountain girl to run, nowhere to hide.

[Outro]
I push the needle through the wool.
I fold the bill up neat and small.
And mend the tear. That's all.