Twelve by Twelve

[Intro] June twenty-six, six in the evening A white bird cuts across the blue You stand still while the whole sky moves [Verse 1] Seven by ten, then seven more One comes off, still count the door Seventy-six turns around the sun A map in the mind, a course begun One point P, set the orbit wide M forty-four where the small stars hide The Beehive keeps its patient course A thousand lights with a single source [Chorus] Build it true, lay the lines in stone Twelve by twelve, make a place our own From the scattered names to a common ground We raise what lasts, we stand our ground Hands to the work, let the measured walls rise Diamond-cut pattern beneath open skies [Verse 2] Two donkeys carry the old road home King cobra coils where the dry winds roam Hydra turns, and Cancer marks the season Names in a ledger, each with a reason David, James, Farrow, Rosenberg Holly, Rome, Hill—let the names be heard Twelve disciples, twelve nations in view A table with room for the many, not few [Chorus] Build it true, lay the lines in stone Twelve by twelve, make a place our own From the scattered names to a common ground We raise what lasts, we stand our ground Hands to the work, let the measured walls rise Diamond-cut pattern beneath open skies [Bridge] Not every number needs a throne Not every sign can stand alone Keep the record, test the claim Let honest hands complete the frame [Final Chorus] Build it true, lay the lines in stone Twelve by twelve, make a place our own From the scattered names to a common ground We raise what lasts, we stand our ground Hands to the work, let the measured walls rise Diamond-cut pattern beneath open skies [Outro] The birds lift off; the blue stays wide We keep the names, we build with pride