Where the Questions Bloom

A gentle folk ballad sung by a woman, with a warm, hopeful chorus

Chorus
Come sit with me, the circle’s wide;
There’s room beside the quiet ones.
Bring what you know, ask what you will—
Our learning’s only just begun.
Oh, Olni, in those hours we shared,
You gave my wandering heart some room.
We planted questions, you and I,
And stayed to watch the answers bloom.

Verse 2 — The Magistrate
I brought the years behind my quill,
The hearings held, the lessons learned.
I knew how swiftly words could wound,
How fiercely angry voices burned.
So I would listen, take my time,
And seek the thread through each account;
A quiet woman at her desk
Still knows that every word can count.

Verse 3 — The Circle
I drew the seats into a ring
So we could see each other’s face.
A lesson need not hurry on
And leave a puzzled soul someplace.
We spoke of customs, bows, and names,
Of how to travel, how to greet;
And sometimes one small question asked
Would make the whole day’s work complete.

Verse 4 — The Teacher Learns
“The only bad question,” I would say,
“Is one you never choose to ask.”
Then someone saw a different way,
And made me pause beside my task.
I’d turn a page, or think awhile,
Or find a passage we could share;
I came prepared to teach that day,
And learned from those who gathered there.

Verse 5 — Beyond the Scrolls
There’s more to life than ink and law,
Though I can fill a day with both.
With Falconer, I tried my aim,
And gave the waiting bowstring hope.
An arrow loosed, a moment’s hush—
Then looking where the thing had flown.
How good to try, and laugh, and learn
A skill so different from my own.

Verse 6 — Brew n Banter
When Brew n Banter gathered us,
We brought our stories to the night.
A poem read, a tale passed round,
And someone found the words just right.
With Layla near, I listened on
As voices took their separate turns;
The finest things a city keeps
Are often things no ledger learns.

Verse 7 — The Small Things
A cup of blackwine, news exchanged,
A little work upon my home;
The library, another class,
A friendly greeting as I roamed.
I did not mark the day it changed,
When streets grew easy to recall;
I simply found, among my plans,
Your people woven through them all.

Verse 8 — What I Carry
I’ve carried cities in my heart
Long after leaving them behind.
From Olni, I will carry this:
The welcome of a curious mind.
The courage of a hand half raised,
The smile when something’s understood—
Those moments stay beside my quill
And tell me that the work was good.

Final Chorus
Come sit with me, the circle’s wide;
There’s room beside the quiet ones.
Bring what you know, ask what you will—
Our learning’s only just begun.
Oh, Olni, in those hours we shared,
You gave this teacher room to bloom.
And when I think of you, I hear
A question from across the room.

Outro — Softly
I set my quill beside the page.
A voice says, “May I ask you more?”
I smile and draw another chair—
That’s what the circle’s waiting for.

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Verse 1 — Coming to Olni I came with scrolls and traveling clothes, With more behind than people knew. So many doors had closed before; I wondered what this one would do. In Olni, there was work to hand, A place to set my papers down, And slowly, through familiar names, I found my way about the town. Chorus Come sit with me, the circle’s wide; There’s room beside the quiet ones. Bring what you know, ask what you will— Our learning’s only just begun. Oh, Olni, in those hours we shared, You gave my wandering heart some room. We planted questions, you and I, And stayed to watch the answers bloom. Verse 2 — The Magistrate I brought the years behind my quill, The hearings held, the lessons learned. I knew how swiftly words could wound, How fiercely angry voices burned. So I would listen, take my time, And seek the thread through each account; A quiet woman at her desk Still knows that every word can count. Chorus Come sit with me, the circle’s wide; There’s room beside the quiet ones. Bring what you know, ask what you will— Our learning’s only just begun. Oh, Olni, in those hours we shared, You gave my wandering heart some room. We planted questions, you and I, And stayed to watch the answers bloom. Verse 3 — The Circle I drew the seats into a ring So we could see each other’s face. A lesson need not hurry on And leave a puzzled soul someplace. We spoke of customs, bows, and names, Of how to travel, how to greet; And sometimes one small question asked Would make the whole day’s work complete. Verse 4 — The Teacher Learns “The only bad question,” I would say, “Is one you never choose to ask.” Then someone saw a different way, And made me pause beside my task. I’d turn a page, or think awhile, Or find a passage we could share; I came prepared to teach that day, And learned from those who gathered there. Chorus Come sit with me, the circle’s wide; There’s room beside the quiet ones. Bring what you know, ask what you will— Our learning’s only just begun. Oh, Olni, in those hours we shared, You gave my wandering heart some room. We planted questions, you and I, And stayed to watch the answers bloom. Verse 5 — Beyond the Scrolls There’s more to life than ink and law, Though I can fill a day with both. With Falconer, I tried my aim, And gave the waiting bowstring hope. An arrow loosed, a moment’s hush— Then looking where the thing had flown. How good to try, and laugh, and learn A skill so different from my own. Verse 6 — Brew n Banter When Brew n Banter gathered us, We brought our stories to the night. A poem read, a tale passed round, And someone found the words just right. With Layla near, I listened on As voices took their separate turns; The finest things a city keeps Are often things no ledger learns. Chorus Come sit with me, the circle’s wide; There’s room beside the quiet ones. Bring what you know, ask what you will— Our learning’s only just begun. Oh, Olni, in those hours we shared, You gave my wandering heart some room. We planted questions, you and I, And stayed to watch the answers bloom. Verse 7 — The Small Things A cup of blackwine, news exchanged, A little work upon my home; The library, another class, A friendly greeting as I roamed. I did not mark the day it changed, When streets grew easy to recall; I simply found, among my plans, Your people woven through them all. Verse 8 — What I Carry I’ve carried cities in my heart Long after leaving them behind. From Olni, I will carry this: The welcome of a curious mind. The courage of a hand half raised, The smile when something’s understood— Those moments stay beside my quill And tell me that the work was good. Final Chorus Come sit with me, the circle’s wide; There’s room beside the quiet ones. Bring what you know, ask what you will— Our learning’s only just begun. Oh, Olni, in those hours we shared, You gave this teacher room to bloom. And when I think of you, I hear A question from across the room. Outro — Softly I set my quill beside the page. A voice says, “May I ask you more?” I smile and draw another chair— That’s what the circle’s waiting for.

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