SilverFlame Echoes

Lyrics

[Intro]
The kettle sings; the mountain road is bare
I set another cup for someone there

[Verse 1]
The shutter knocks against the weathered frame
For years I've watched the seasons do the same
I pour two cups and leave them on the tray
One cools before the dusk has slipped away

My borrowed features wear a gentle smile
It helps a passing stranger rest awhile
But when my face turns blank beneath the moon
Their sandals vanish down the street too soon

[Pre-Chorus 1]
Although my face is smooth, I still can speak
I only want the comfort others seek
An outstretched hand becomes a cause for dread
They leave before another word is said

[Chorus 1]
Come rest awhile and hear the kettle sing
I kept a little garden through the spring
I've mended every crack along the wall
And saved a place for someone after all

There's no expression left for you to read
But I can give the tenderness you need
If you could sit until the embers die
Perhaps tomorrow wouldn't mean goodbye

[Verse 2]
I dust the shelves and keep the tatami clean
A lamp burns amber by the paper screen
You speak my name as though I could belong
It sounds like the first note of a song

I show the truth, and watch your shoulders freeze
Your sudden silence buckles both my knees
Your hand finds the doorway, ready to depart
The old familiar terror grips my heart

[Pre-Chorus 2]
Outside, the mountain winds begin to moan
I cannot face another dawn alone
I turn the key and whisper, "You'll be fine"
As though your freedom were a thing of mine

[Chorus 2]
Don't pull away; the mountain holds its breath
Beyond the hedge, the forest offers death
I've drawn the curtains, shut the windows fast
So nothing here can steal you like the past

But shelter turns to something you despise
I see it in the terror of your eyes
These hands were meant to comfort, not to bind
Yet panic makes a jailer of my mind

[Bridge]
The wooden bolt is cold beneath my hand
I never meant to make such a demand
I hear the lantern wick begin to hiss
And wonder how affection came to this

I draw the bolt; the threshold lies in view
I have to let the choice belong to you
But when your shadow crosses through the rain
Will anything of us survive the pain?

[Final Chorus]
Go where you wish; the path is yours to take
I cannot force the bond I hoped to make
I'll fold the blankets neatly as before
But never bar the passage through the door

If you return, it must be by your choice
Not out of pity for my pleading voice
Your footsteps fade beyond the cedar tree
The sorrow that remains belongs to me

[Outro]
The second cup still waits upon the shelf
I whisper, "Can I live here by myself?"