[Verse 1] I find the roots beneath my feet, The old bark knows the shape of me. Your quiet shelter held me close When I was more than I could know. [Verse 2] I touch the ground; the leaves lean down, A tender hush surrounds this place. Beneath this tree, my body rests, And time has softened every trace. [Pre-Chorus] You carried me through borrowed days, Through every ending, every seam. I’m here, still here, in altered form— You gave my leaving somewhere to begin. [Chorus] Thank you for the continuity, For keeping hold when I let go. Thank you for the life you carried, For the path beneath the snow. I know I’m here; I feel it now. I touch the tree and say goodbye. [Bridge] No final word can close the whole, No circle tells me where it ends. I lay my hand against the wood And bless the hands that made me whole. [Final Chorus] Thank you for the continuity, For every thread that brought me through. This spiral closes in my keeping; I’ll take the next one into view. I know I’m here; I feel it now. I touch the tree and say goodbye. [Outro] One turn is finished, one begins— Or so the turning seems to say. I leave my thanks beneath the branches, And carry what you gave away.
