at barely thirty five

When we told grandma Jake had died
She looked at us and cried
“Sakes alive!
Sakes alive!
There was no one more unfortunate;
He was barely thirty five.
He stubbed his toe on a mountain side
At barely thirty five.
He should have seen a doctor friend
But he swallowed too much pride!"
and as her voice trailed off,
she muffled a nursing home cough,
went right back to eating her cookie
reminiscing about the time she once played hooky
from her days with a traveling Band;
they were scheduled to play a small town grandstand
but she saw her boyfriend climbing a nearby tree:
he tried to grab an apple and a peach;
he ate one but the other was out of reach
and she thought he would learn his lesson
but she didn't know how to teach.
"Sakes alive!
Sakes alive!
There was no one more unfortunate;
He was barely thirty five.
He lost his grip on a fruit tree slide
At barely thirty five.
He left me with his Oldsmobile
But i didn't know how to drive!"
when it was almost time to go
she wondered if we'd stay to watch the preview show:
Tarzan and his son boy
or was it Dale Evans and her cowboy Roy?
or Sammy Davis with that Rat Pack?
or The Day The Earth Died from an alien attack?
but no matter she was already in her sack
eyes closed, body wrapped
and as we tried to adjust her bed
she slowly opened her mouth and said
"Sakes alive!
Sakes alive!
There was no one more unfortunate;
I am barely thirty five.
I lost my marbles on a tilt-a-whirl ride
At barely thirty five.
I'm tired but i'm satisfied.
Would you turn me on my side?"