I held the summers in my walls, Young voices running through the halls, Names carved deep beneath the paint, Promises the rain made faint. Every clock above the door Took a little more and more, Now the dust knows where I’ve been, Settling softly on my skin. They say this place has lost its light, But I still count the days at night. Brick by brick, I disappear, Year by year, I’m still here. Windows break, the daylight slips, Time takes bites from bone and brick. Call my name—I’ll answer slow, Some doors close before you know. Brick by brick, I disappear, Year by year… I’m still here. The stairs have grown too steep to climb, Each landing steals a little time. My hinges ache, my rafters bend, I lose the rooms I used to tend. Faces fade, then names do too, Photographs forget who’s who. I know I loved, I know I tried, But not who stood there by my side. They touch my arm and speak with care, As if the old me still lived there. My hands once carried wood and stone, Now they shake when left alone. The winter settles in my frame, Rotting letters from my name. People pass and watch me fade, Wondering what I might have made. They see the cracks, they see the rust, Then walk away and leave the dust. Someone comes and moves a chair, Speaks to the dust as if I’m there. Love can wait beside the frame, Hold my hand and say my name. But no one else can lose my years, Or hear the clock behind my ears. Every life, however known, Must face the falling walls alone. Brick by brick, I disappear, Year by year, I’m still here. Windows break, the daylight slips, Time takes bites from bone and brick. Call my name—I’ll answer slow, There are rooms I’ll never know. Brick by brick, I disappear, Year by year… I’m still here. Brick by brick, I disappear, Year by year, I’m still here. When the final window falls, Will the wind remember walls? While one room can hold the light, I will keep it through the night. Brick by brick, I disappear, Year by year… I’m still here. Under mildew, under rain, In the house that I became.
