Granddad’s voice in the afternoon Dust dancing in a quiet room Coffee cup and a window screen Talking about the things we’ve seen Outside the fields were dry and wide Tin roofs humming countryside He said, “Girl, time’s a gentle thief Steals your joy and leaves a leaf” So write it down before it fades Put it in a box of yesterday’s Hold it close, don’t let it stray So the wind won’t blow it all away I was young with a borrowed gun Thought the world was something to outrun Summer heat and a reckless sound One mistake still hanging around He didn’t judge, he didn’t shout Just let the long truth wander out Some things stay and some things bend Some don’t leave you in the end So write it down before it fades Put it in a box of yesterday’s Hold it close, don’t let it sway So the wind won’t blow it all away Years roll by like prairie grass You blink your eyes and seasons pass But a story told in a kitchen chair Can live like it’s still right there Now I sit where he once sat Sunlight on an old straw hat Trying hard to find the way To keep the small things here to stay So write it down before it fades All the love and all the mistakes Whisper it soft, let it stay So the wind won’t blow it all away
