*Verse I — Smooth Sailing* The morning laid its gold upon the water, Silver trembling underneath the sun. Every soul had somewhere on the vessel, Every life knew who it had become. Silk along the upper decks was shining, Worn hands waited where the shadows fell. We called it order. We called it reason. We never called it a dividing line. *Verse II — Distinction* Polished words and polished shoes, Names that opened every door, While rough hands held the railings And wondered what the voyage was for. Different clothes, different voices, Different stories handed down, But beneath the velvet and the homespun Every heartbeat made the same sound. **Pre-Chorus** We build the walls, Then swear they're natural. We draw the line, Then forget who drew it. **Chorus** There are no high-born in the water, No low-born underneath the sea. When the darkness takes the deck away, What remains of you and me? No crown can make the ocean kneel, No name can bargain with the tide. When the ship becomes the grave, Who stands above And who stands beside? *Verse III — What Came Before* We learned to need the other Just to know ourselves. Made saints of our reflection, Put strangers somewhere else. Brother across the distance, Sister beneath the stare, Close enough to be familiar, Far enough to leave them there. *Verse IV — In the Dark* Then the lamps began to vanish. Cold stars watched the sea. One vessel crossed the darkness Carrying what we could not see. Two thousand hearts were dreaming. A world beyond held its breath. The future looked backward And recognized itself. *Verse V — The Water Waits* And somewhere in the silence The impossible drew near— Steel against the blackened deep, Hope against the fear. You cannot stop the water. You cannot reason with the night. The thing we thought was distant Has already come in sight. **Chorus** There are no high-born in the water, No low-born underneath the sea. When the darkness takes the deck away, What remains of you and me? No crown can make the ocean kneel, No wealth can purchase dawn. When the last light disappears, Who will we become When privilege is gone? *Bridge — What Came After* Some reached the boats. Some reached the stars. Some were never given A chance to leave their scars. And those who watched from safety Could still hear the water speak: Not about the distance between us— But about the hands We never reached. **Final Chorus** There are no higher in the water, There are no lower in the grave. There are only souls still calling And the souls who choose to save. Break the ladder. Break the silence. Break the ancient, empty frame. If we rise, then rise together. If we fall, then share the blame. *Outro* The sea remembers every kingdom. The sea forgets every name. Our brothers. Our sisters. Still calling through the darkness. Still waiting. Still human. Amen.
