Listen Twice

I marked the page before the tune Had gathered all this weight A pencil line, a measure's end The place I meant to keep Now something moves beneath the notes Just out of reach of words I let it stay there, undefined A feeling without a name I can leave a rest between the notes I can't make a home there A silence has its place in music But it can't become the song If the tune stays where it is With no note to carry on I can't keep holding time For a phrase that won't resolve Some days the sound comes close enough To make me listen twice Some days I hear the melody The way it first was played I won't supply the missing part Or decide which one is true The page and what is sounding Have to meet somewhere I can leave a rest between the notes I can't make a home there A silence has its place in music But it can't become the song If the tune stays where it is With no note to carry on I can't keep holding time For a phrase that won't resolve I'm not asking for the final chord Before it's ready to arrive But a rest belongs to music It can't hold the whole piece up I can leave a rest between the notes I can't make a home there The line I marked is still beneath The music as it changes If the sound and score don't meet I can't keep singing on I'll leave the page as it is And let the next note wait