[Intro — frame drum, bare feet on earth, low female hum] [deep female contralto] Hand to ground Heart to heart We came through fire We came through dark No blood required No oath by birth We found each other That was the gift [Verse 1] Ash in our hair Mud on our knees Names we buried Names we keep Some lost homes Some lost years Some learned silence Some learned fear Still we came Still we stood Still we found each other [Pre-Chorus] Root to root Palm to palm No one here stands alone [Chorus — full coven] The circle answers Heart by heart Hand by hand Ground to ground Sister, I hear you Sister, I know You do not carry this alone No one above us No one owned We found each other We made a home [Post-Chorus — ritual chant] ROOT NOT CHAIN GIFT NOT DEBT HAND NOT CLAIM HEART TO HEART [Verse 2] One knows herbs One knows storms One knows how to mend what’s torn One holds grief One holds flame One remembers every name Not the same Never meant to be That is why the circle holds [Pre-Chorus 2] Voice to voice Breath to breath What survived survives in us [Chorus — larger] The circle answers Heart by heart Hand by hand Ground to ground Sister, I see you Sister, stay whole Nothing about love requires control No one above us No one owned We found each other We made a home [Instrumental Ritual — frame drums, stomps, handclaps, layered female humming] [CHANT — all female voices] WE CAME THROUGH WE CAME THROUGH WE CAME THROUGH AND WE ARE HERE WE CAME THROUGH WE CAME THROUGH WE CAME THROUGH AND WE ARE HERE [Bridge — Morrow, intimate] I thought the gift was power Thought survival was enough Thought the earth had given me everything it meant to give Then you reached out without taking Stood beside me without claim And I learned the thing that saved us was not strength It was finding one another [drums rise] [Breakdown — joyful ritual force] [ALL FEMALE VOICES] SISTER STAND SISTER BREATHE SISTER PUT YOUR HAND WITH ME NO CROWN NO CHAIN NO BLOOD TO PROVE OUR NAME WE CHOSE WE STAY WE GIVE AND KEEP OURSELVES [half-time stomp] WHAT WE SURVIVED MADE US STRONG WHAT WE FOUND MADE US WHOLE [Final Chorus — ecstatic, grounded] The circle answers Heart by heart Hand by hand Ground to ground Sister, I hear you Sister, I know Every road behind us led us home No one above us No one owned We found each other That was the gift [Final Ritual Rise] [overlapping female harmonies] ROOT TO ROOT VOICE TO VOICE WE SURVIVED NOW WE CHOOSE HAND TO HAND HEART TO HEART NOT BY BLOOD BY WHO WE ARE [MORROW — strong clean vocal] He thought he ended my family [pause] He only taught me how much bigger family could be [ALL VOICES] WE FOUND EACH OTHER [MORROW] That was the gift [Outro — drums soften into heartbeat] Hand to ground Heart to heart We came through fire We came through dark No blood required No one owned [whispered female voices] Here Here Here [MORROW — peaceful] Here [one final drumbeat] [silence]
