Poor Boy's Shoes

When he met her at the dance, she had flowers in her hair There was no girl in this land who could have stood next to her there And there, everyone could see how he loved her instantly Though he had nothing to give her but his poor boy's hopes and dreams Well, he danced with her that summer 'til it showed on her sweet face As she was taken by the warmth of him and all his gentle ways And then he swore to her his love was true And he married her in poor boy's shoes Well, not many years had passed through the grip of his strong hands When a great, unyielding Hunger drew its veil across this land His young love soon took ill, and with two little mouths to fill It took all he could to keep them from the poorhouse on the hill But when his pockets had run dry from crying tears that rang like bells And their home drew in the wind just like an old seashell Then he gathered everything he had to lose And he walked them up in poor boy's shoes First God took the little boy And then He took the little girl And soon their little souls were free From all the sadness in this world Their father lifted up his love She could no longer walk alone And from the poorhouse on the hill He took her on the long walk home And there he felt the cold upon her, as he laid her down to rest And so he knelt down by her bed and drew her feet up to his chest And there he tried to warm her cold feet through And they found them there in poor boy's shoes