This Love
Fred Small Lyrics

The neighbor up the road brought the message
Word comes around that Joe and May, who never had a telephone, are living alone with their five grown children, now college graduates, in the Pewaukee Lake area.

And the nurse at the big Milwaukee hospital
A nurse at an enormous hospital in Milwaukee states that they have a six-month-old blind, mentally and physically disabled baby who will not live long.

Said 'We've got a baby here with no eyes
The infirmary has a child with no eyesight, according to the nurse.

It's retarded, it's got cerebral palsy
The child is severely mentally and physically challenged, with cerebral palsy.

Six months old living only to die
The nurse believes that the six-month-old baby, who did not have long to live, was simply existing.

And we remembered the tiny Englishwoman
The people thought back to a small English woman known for offering nursing and parenting services as a nanny.

Used to hire out as a nurse-governess
This Englishwoman would have made extra income by taking care of other people's children.

May Lemke, will you take this broken child off our hands?'
It is suggested that May should adopt the child who has been abandoned by others. God loves a fool because, despite the overwhelming risks and difficulties associated with doing so, she disposes to raise the child by saying yes.

And God loves a fool 'cause she said yes, she said
God appreciates a fool who, despite the immense risks and difficulties involved, decides to look after an abandoned and disabled child. May fits this description because she accepts the offer to parent the child.

Leslie is different
Leslie possesses a range of traits that distinguish him from other people.

Like everyone in the world
This applies not only to Leslie but to everyone else.

He's kind of awkward, he's kind of fragile
Leslie may seem uncomfortable and frail at times.

Kind of graceful, kind of tough
At other times, Leslie may exhibit grace and resilience.

He's kind of slow, he's kind of clever
Leslie may not be fast, but he is clever in his own way.

He's just Leslie and that's enough
Leslie is merely Leslie, and that is enough for him to be loved and appreciated.

He just lay there helpless and silent
Leslie lay still, unable to do anything, without making a sound.

Not a tear, not a smile, not a word
Leslie neither shed tears, smiled nor spoke.

But they held him and rocked him and sang him to sleep
However, they held Leslie and gently rocked him while singing lullabies to help him fall asleep.

And talked to him as if he really heard
They had conversations with him as though they expected him to comprehend what they were saying.

And he grew with the sun and affection
Leslie grew as a result of receiving affection from his family and the sun's rays.

Though his body was spindly and small
Despite being skinny and small, Leslie was still able to thrive.

And a hundred times they stood him with his hands upon the fence
They placed him up against the railing many times with both hands resting on top.

And a hundred times watched him fall
They watched as he fell on many occasions.

And their daughters warned it was useless
Their children cautioned their parents that their efforts in attempting to aid Leslie were futile.

They said, 'Mama, that boy will break your heart'
Her kids stated, 'Mama, that kid will hurt you.'

She said, 'Love never comes easy
Despite the difficulties and heartbreaks associated with loving and caring for someone, love is never simple.

And miracles mostly come hard,' she said
Miracles are often hard to come by, according to her.

May used to play the piano
May used to play the piano.

And sing the old songs from the war
May used to perform music that referred to the war.

There was always music on the radio
The radio station continually broadcasted music.

And the records she bought at the store
She acquired vinyl recordings from the store.

And sometimes they swore he was listening
There were instances when they suspected that Leslie was listening to music.

Though of course there was no way to know
Without explicit confirmation, it is hard to tell whether Leslie was actively listening to music.

Maybe he was flying in his own blue sky
At times they hypothesized that Leslie might be mentally floating in his blue heaven.

Where no one else would ever go
A place that no one else could ever reach.

Maybe he was lost in a forest
Maybe he was lost in a dense forest, according to their imaginative musings.

Where demons and woodspirits dwell
Such a forest may be home to supernatural creatures such as demons and woodspirits.

But for sixteen years he had never spoke a word
Despite reaching the age of sixteen, Leslie had never uttered a single phrase.

Never taken one step for himself, but they said
He had never made a move on his own, but they still said...

'Leslie is different'
'Leslie is distinct,' they reasoned.

'Like everyone in the world'
'Like everyone else in the world.'

'He's kind of awkward, he's kind of fragile'
'Sometimes he's awkward and vulnerable.'

'Kind of graceful, kind of tough'
'At other times he exudes grace and resilience.'

'He's kind of slow, he's kind of clever'
'He isn't speedy, but he has his own brand of intelligence.'

'He's just Leslie and that's enough'
'He's simply Leslie, and that is sufficient for him to be loved and valued.'

Along about three in the morning
At approximately three o'clock in the morning,

A ripple of music broke the night
The night's tranquility is shattered by a faint noise of music.

Joe's fallen asleep at the TV again
Joe, as per usual, fell asleep while watching television.

May reached over to turn on the light
To turn on the light, May stretched out her arm.

But the music kept getting louder
However, the music grew progressively louder.

And the TV was quiet and cold
Coexisting with the music was the silence of the TV--both features became apparent.

Leslie was playing the piano
Leslie, on the other hand, had taken to the piano.

And his fingers were agile and bold
His fingers were nimble and forceful as he played.

A Tchaikovsky piano concerto
He was playing a piano concerto written by Tchaikovsky.

Like water breaking over a dam
The music poured out of the piano like a flood, bursting over a dam.

A river of ecstasy flowed through his hands
A feeling of joy flowed through his fingers.

And each note cried out, 'I am!' because
Each musical note he played expressed its own distinctiveness.

Leslie is different
Leslie has his particular qualities and attributes that make him stand out.

Like everyone in the world
These same differences are likely shared by every other human on the planet.

He's kind of awkward, he's kind of fragile
Leslie may appear awkward and easily damaged at times.

Kind of graceful, kind of tough
However, at other times, he is graceful and resilient.

He's kind of slow, he's kind of clever
Leslie may not have lightning-fast reflexes, but he is intelligent and wise in his own way.

He's just Leslie and that's enough
All he needs to be is Leslie, and that is sufficient for his parents to appreciate him and show him love.