Wish Liszt (Toy Shop Madness)

[INSTRUMENTAL]

NOW THE OLD MAN WAS NEARING A TOY SHOP
WHERE HE COULD HEAR A MUSIC BOX KIND OF SOUND
FROM A MINIATURE CAROUSEL WITH ITS MINIATURE HORSES
ALL CIRCLING FAITHFULLY AROUND

AND A LITTLE GIRL WEARING A RUSSIAN STYLED COAT
WAS CAREFULLY LOOKING INSIDE
AT THE HORSES AND KNIGHTS AND THE TRAINS WITH THEIR LIGHTS
WHILE SHE WAS IMAGINING THEY ALL WERE ALIVE

FOR AT THIS TIME A CHILD WILL DARE
TO SEE WHAT IS PERHAPS NOT THERE
OR AT LEAST NOT THERE TO ADULT EYES
WHO HAVE FORGOTTEN HOW TO FANTASIZE

NOW THAT YOUNG GIRL, OUTSIDE THE STORE WAS TRYING TO CAPTURE SNOW’S MAGIC
BUT EACH FLAKE MELTED AT HER TOUCH WHICH HER YOUNG MIND FOUND QUITE TRAGIC

AND WHILE CHASING AN ELUSIVE SNOWFLAKE THAT WAS DETERMINED TO REACH THE GROUND
SHE BUMPED INTO THE BUSINESSMAN PASSING BY AND NEARLY KNOCKED HIM DOWN

AND THINKING SHE WAS IN TROUBLE THE CHILD QUICKLY APOLOGIZED
BUT THE MAN WAS NOT ACCEPTING IT SHE COULD SEE IT IN HIS EYES

SHE EXPLAINED SHE HAD BEEN LOOKING IN THE TOY SHOP
THAT TOMORROW WOULD BE CHRISTMAS DAY
BUT THE MAN MUTTERED WORDS SHE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND
SO SHE SEARCHED FOR SOMETHING ELSE SHE COULD SAY

“DO YOU HAVE ANY CHILDREN?” THE CHILD ASKED THE MAN
“NO,” WAS HIS INSTANT REPLY
AND THOUGH HE SAID IT IN HIS FIRMEST VOICE
IN HIS HEART HE KNEW HE HAD LIED

THE GIRL WAS GETTING ON HIS NERVES WHICH WERE ALREADY SHOT
SOMETHING ABOUT HER BOTHERED HIM BUT HE COULD NOT SAY QUITE WHAT

THEN HE NOTICED THE TIME WAS APPROACHING MIDNIGHT
WHAT WAS SHE DOING ON THE STREET?
WHEN HE ASKED THE GIRL THIS QUESTION THE CHILD SEEMED TO RETREAT

SHE SAID SHE WAS STAYING WITH HER PARENTS AT THE HOTEL, RIGHT NEXT DOOR
THEY WERE THERE FOR JUST THIS ONE NIGHT IN ROOM TWELVE TWENTY-FOUR

THEN HE SAID, “YOU BEST GET BACK THERE AS QUICK AS YOU CAN FLY!”
AND HE WATCHED AS SHE RAN ALL THE WAY UNTIL SHE WAS SAFELY BACK INSIDE

THEN HE TOOK SEVERAL STEPS IN THE DIRECTION TOWARDS HIS HOME
BUT THEN HE HESITATED AND TOOK OUT HIS MOBILE PHONE

AND CALLED UP THE INSTITUTION WHERE HE HAD LEFT HIS SON
TO FIND OUT IF HE WAS STILL THERE AND ALIVE
WONDERING IF THE PAST COULD BE UNDONE

THE OPERATOR WHO ANSWERED, SEARCHED THE COMPUTER
TO SEE IF THE CHILD HAD SURVIVED
AND SHE WAS SINCERELY HAPPY TO TELL HIM
“YOUR SON IS NO LONGER HERE, BUT HE IS STILL ALIVE!”

THEN THE LADY WHO WAS VERY KIND SAID, “IF YOU HAVE A SHORT WHILE
I CAN GIVE YOU ALL THE INFORMATION THAT IS HERE INSIDE HIS FILE

I SEE THAT AT THE AGE OF TWELVE HE HAD FINALLY LEARNED TO WALK
AND COULD UNDERSTAND MOST THINGS PEOPLE SAID
BUT HAS NEVER LEARNED TO TALK

HE’S LIVING UPTOWN IN THE BRONX AT A BOARDING HOUSE HOTEL”
AND THEN THE LADY GAVE HIM THE PHONE NUMBER AND HOTEL’S ADDRESS AS WELL

AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS
THE MAN THOUGHT ABOUT HIS LIFE
AND ALL THE THINGS HE HAD LEFT BEHIND
AND, OF COURSE, HE THOUGHT ABOUT HIS WIFE

AND HE WONDERED IF SHE HAD LIVED THE THINGS THEY MIGHT HAVE DONE
BUT REALLY MOST OF ALL RIGHT NOW HE THOUGHT ABOUT HIS SON