Mrs. Patterson Looked Out the Window

Lyrics

[Intro]

[Verse 1]
Margaret Patterson, born around 1875,
sits in her rocking chair on Elm Street,
Chillicothe, Ohio, late autumn 1920.
The chair creaks, 62 degrees indoors,
a draft slips through the window frame.
She looks out at the long shadows,
4 PM sun on the quiet street.

[Chorus]
Oh, the window holds the world,
but Margaret, widow at 45,
sees only the rustle of dry leaves,
the neighbor's dog barking faint.
Porch empty, like her days,
since the census marked her alone.

[Verse 2]
Chipped porcelain teacup on the side table,
stained with tea rings from yesterday.
Half-eaten cornbread on a tin plate,
scent of boiled cabbage lingers.
The canary in its brass cage chirps,
a melancholic tune, her only companion.
Faded photo on the mantel,
stern man, late husband, unnamed in records.

[Bridge]
What stories hide in the missing lines?
No marriage certificate, no gravestone.
Just the tick of the unwound grandfather clock,
echoing her solitude.
Damp earth smell through the crack,
cold breeze on her cheek.

[Verse 3]
Hand-crank sewing machine in the corner,
dust cloth draped, unused for weeks.
She gazes at the twilight sky,
magenta hints beyond the lace curtains.
The canary flutters, a small strange fact,
pet for a widow in this small town.

[Chorus]
Oh, the window holds the world,
but Margaret, head of household,
feels the chill of isolation,
fire dying in the hearth.
Porch empty, like her evenings,
since 1920 etched her fate.

[Outro]
Margaret Patterson looks out,
and the world looks back, indifferent.