I let the phone go dead For a week or two Didn't answer when she said "What are you going through?" Told her I was fine Then stared at the wall Where the paint had worn thin Down the hall Slept in yesterday's shirt Left the bed undone Ate standing, skipped dessert Dishes waiting one by one Mail stacked by the door Told myself I'd care Said I'd sort it on the floor Then left it there there... there... I didn't wake up changed one day No voice said, "Now begin" I just got tired of the empty day And the quiet I was in So I filled the kettle, found a clean cup And sat with myself until The morning started looking up And the room went still I made a place at my own table table... table... Set one plate and used it too I learned to sit here when I'm able Even when the cold comes through Don't call it starting over Just do what I can do I'm not looking over my shoulder Learning to sit there too too Washed the cup I used Put the mail away Walked three blocks, confused To the store that day Bought bread and something green Knew I wouldn't waste Came home, wiped the counter clean Closed the door in haste Called my mother on the phone Let her talk a while Heard my voice come back home And I almost smiled smiled Didn't tell her all the pain Stayed on the line Let the words come back again A little more like mine like mine I didn't wake up changed one day No voice said, "Now begin" I just got tired of the empty day And the quiet I was in So I filled the kettle, found a clean cup And sat with myself until The morning started looking up And the room went still still... I made a place at my own table table... table... Set one plate and used it too I learned to sit here when I'm able Even when the cold comes through Don't call it starting over Just do what I can do I'm not looking over my shoulder Learning to sit there too too... Some days I still leave the curtains drawn Don't force the feeling out I sit with the quiet until dawn And let it show me what it's about Don't owe anyone a better ending Just owe myself the time I'm here in this room, not pretending That's the most I can call mine mine... mine... [Final Chorus: fuller, emotional tenor, warm harmonies] I made a place at my own table [echo] table... table... Set one plate and used it too I learned to sit here when I'm able Even when the cold comes through Don't call it starting over Just do what I can do I'm not looking over my shoulder Learning to sit there too [whisper] too [Outro: piano and sub bass fade, soft vocal ad-lib] Learning to sit there too [echo] too... too... [whisper] A place at my own table [fade out]
