1st Place September/October Contest | “She May Never See Paris”

1st Place
“She May Never See Paris”
Debra Wolf Goldstein
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Verse I:
My mother’s on the old porch swing
Her weathered eyes seem blue
I’ll bet she’s thinking of the things
She never got to do
Art school and then a trip to France
Her big dreams for a while
Were put off when she told my dad
That they would have a child

…and she knows

Chorus:
SHE MAY NEVER SEE PARIS
Though not because she doesn’t want to go
She bloomed where she was planted
And made our garden grow
BUT SHE MAY NEVER SEE PARIS I KNOW

Verse II:
My parents bought a piece of land
They farmed its fields with care
And earned their bread with thankful hearts
But not much cash to spare
They raised me to be strong and proud
Now I’ve kids of my own
When dad passed on, we moved back so Mom wouldn’t be alone

…and she knows

Chorus:
SHE MAY NEVER SEE PARIS
She never seemed to find the time to go
She bloomed where she was planted
And made our garden grow
BUT SHE MAY NEVER SEE PARIS I KNOW

Bridge:
And when the grass looks greener
On her neighbor’s lawn
She thinks of gifts she’s received
On the path she’s on

Verse III:
We talked out on the porch tonight
With sunset on its way
I asked if mom felt sad about
The choices she had made
She smiled at grandkids in the yard
And looked at me with love
Then pointed to our full green fields
And said “This life’s enough”

…and she knows

Chorus:
SHE MAY NEVER SEE PARIS
I hope someday she has a chance to go
She bloomed where she was planted
And made our garden grow
BUT SHE MAY NEVER SEE PARIS I KNOW
SHE MAY NEVER SEE PARIS I KNOW

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