An Angel Appeared
A Song That Wrote Itself
When the weather is warm I wander down to the harbor in Port Washington, find an empty bench in Rotary Park, and sing to the seagulls. One evening last summer I was hunched over my guitar when a pair of white sneakers with polka dot laces entered my field of vision. Scanning upward I took in the vision of an old lady, aglow in the warmth of the setting sun. The song accurately depicts what happened next.
An Angel Appeared
by Howard Lewis
I was playing guitar on a soft summer night
Down at the harbor in the fading twilight
Singing of love, singing of loss,
Singing about all of the miles I have crossed
When an angel in linen and fine Belgian lace
Entered my bubble of personal space
“Will you sing me a song,” she asked straight away
Without hesitation I started to play.
Over the Rainbow came tumbling out
And all of the while she was looking about
As if searching for something long gone astray
Looking for someone far far away
“He’s been gone a long time,” she said at the end.
“A fisherman,” she added, “And my very best friend.”
“I’ve lived in this village for seventy years,
Now I’m ninety years old,” she said through her tears.
(chorus)
I could promise to love you ‘til we’re old and we’re grey
I could promise you laughter at the end of the day
But one will go first and the other will stay
So the best I can do is to love you today
“Do you accept tips?” she frankly seemed moved
To ask me, and of course I approved
She slipped me a five then wandered away
Some people go, some people stay.
(chorus)
I could promise to love you ‘til we’re old and we’re grey
I could promise you laughter at the end of the day
But one will go first and the other will stay
So the best I can do is to love you today
Count me among those who remain
Who know the truth in this poignant refrain
“If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow why-o-why can’t I?”
Interlude to Over the Rainbow . . .
# # #
That was it. It was a profound encounter with absolutely no wasted words. I sang Over the Rainbow because I figured it was a song she would recognize. She rewarded me by revealing her heart. In fact the experience exposed mine as well.
I went home and documented what had happened. The song wrote itself.
The Embedded Reporter