[Intro: Solo bowed dulcimer, low reverb, Whispered, almost prayer-like]: I’ve watched the moon forget my name And still I rise, again the same The earth has cracked, the stars have bled But I keep rising from my bed [Verse 1: Sparse piano, chords played with arthritic hands, slightly uneven, raw, Layer: quiet “ooh” harmony humming lullabies]: I bore them all with pain and pride Felt their kicks from deep inside Named each one beneath the sky Then kissed their faces when they died [Pre-Chorus: Add harmonium swell, subtle rising, Tension builds, voice cracks on the final word, Gentle cymbal brush]: Each grave I visit wears my name Each birth repeats the same old flame [Chorus: Full harmony stack (multi-track: young/old versions of herself), Piano swells into 6-note ascending motif, Subtle undercurrent of distant choir murmuring “Amen” in the background]: I wait for the homecoming bell For the Lord to call me home from this shell But the morning comes and still I wake With the ache of time I cannot shake Oh The days go by but they don't take The weight I carry The heart I break [Verse 2: Return to dulcimer, this time layered with heartbeat thump on kick drum faint, She speaks one line instead of singing: “I remember when fire meant warmth, not sorrow.”]: I watched the towns turn into ash The fashions fade, the cameras flash Each language lost, each promise bent Each century another lament [Pre-Chorus 2: Gentle cymbal brush, Add harmonium swell, subtle rising, Tension builds, voice cracks on the final word]: I’ve stitched their names into my skin And wear their laughter deep within [Chorus: Full harmony stack (multi-track: young/old versions of herself), Piano swells into 6-note ascending motif, Subtle undercurrent of distant choir murmuring “Amen” in the background]: I wait for the homecoming bell For the golden gates I knew so well But the sky just turns and the children fade Like flowers pressed in books I made But the morning comes and still I wake With the ache of time I cannot shake Oh The days go by but they don't take The weight I carry The heart I break [Bridge: Choir rises, swelling in gospel call-and-response, begins to dissolve into soft ambient swirls]: [Choir echoing]: “Do You still wait?” “Yes, Lord, I wait.” “I gave you time.” “Yes, I gave them mine.” “I saw your tears.” “They shaped my years.” “When will you rest?” “When You know best.” [Final Chorus: All instruments fall away but voice and distant choir, Final words, not sung Whispered Harmony]: I wait for the homecoming bell For peace to rise where shadows dwell And if this dawn don’t carry me I’ll rise once more, and make the tea If heaven waits It's out of sight Like stars that fade before the night I’m tethered here My wings too tight Still yearning for that endless flight [Outro: Spoken]: I’ve lived so long the sun forgot to set But I remember every birth. Every death. And I wait ...I wait
