“Windows of Light” (4:35)
© by Barbara Lewis 1989 Montreal
Lights in the store window sparkle and glow
Mechanical elves nod their heads
Mom in her kerchief, Dad sipping wine
The Christmas tree shimmers and shines
In the window reflected, I see
An old woman's face
Foggy eyes, clothes in shreds
She clutches her few tattered bags
Why? Why, so little for her, so much for me?
We stood together
Watched the display
She turned
Her eyes met mine
Her lips moved
"Can you spare a dime?"
I fumbled in pockets, searching for change
Cursing I stopped here tonight
This isn't my problem, I'm not to blame
But my heart broke faced with her plight
Why? Why, so little for her, so much for me?
I looked at her face. She gave me a stare
She was past feeling shame. I gave her a dollar
It's not much
But her face lighted up just the same
She turned to leave. My stomach still churned
I thought of the way that I live
She hobbled away from those windows of light
I watched her move into the cold Christmas night
Thinking:"Why? Why, so little for her, so much for me?"
Lights in the store window sparkle and glow
Mechanical elves nod their heads
Mom in her kerchief, Dad sipping wine
The Christmas tree shimmers and shines
In the window reflected, I see
An old woman's face
Foggy eyes, clothes in shreds
She clutches her few tattered bags
Why? Why, so little for her, so much for me?
We stood together
Watched the display
She turned
Her eyes met mine
Her lips moved
"Can you spare a dime?"
I fumbled in pockets, searching for change
Cursing I stopped here tonight
This isn't my problem, I'm not to blame
But my heart broke faced with her plight
Why? Why, so little for her, so much for me?
I looked at her face. She gave me a stare
She was past feeling shame. I gave her a dollar
It's not much
But her face lighted up just the same
She turned to leave. My stomach still churned
I thought of the way that I live
She hobbled away from those windows of light
I watched her move into the cold Christmas night
Thinking:"Why? Why, so little for her, so much for me?"
Seasonal Song - Windows of Light
...
Click arrow to listen to unedited sound clip (Recorded live, December, 1989 in Tudor Concert Hall, Montreal. Ruth Neufeld plays piano)
