Leonard’s Toaster

Leonard’s Toaster
(by Randy Stonehill)

Leonard had a toaster, but Leonard’s toast just never came out right Every time he put the bread in, it popped up either too dark or too light And his son would watch his face become a vision of frustration and fright As if to say, “Beware this life my friend, the undertow will drown you in the end You may briefly know some happiness, but just as quickly it will fade away.” Yeah, Leonard had a toaster that promised disappointment every day
Leonard had a toaster and, every day, Leonard’s youngest son
Wrestled with those phantoms that robbed him like a bandit with a gun Oh, his daddy tried his best, you couldn't blame him for the damage that’s been done Age to age, dysfunction carries on like the passing of some toxic baton Every generation leaves a legacy of blessings and of pain
Leonard had a toaster but it might as well have been a ball and chain
Oh, we read from this unwritten script that would tell us who we are It’s amazing how those unseen wounds can leave such lasting scars
Leonard had a toaster, his son took it apart on Christmas day
Down the street in the repair shop that he bought when Leonard passed away It took time to reassemble but you can see it in the window on display See, the trouble wasn’t toasters after all, it’s a lack of love that makes a soul feel small And even if you can't forget, you can forgive
It’s a reminder of redemption on the block where Leonard used to live Leonard had a toaster