The Architecture of Leaving

[Verse 1] The math is cold and the lines are clear I count the gap in the turning year We built an island, just me and you But the ocean rises, as oceans do I know the ending, I know the chart I will be the first to leave this part And a house that is built for only two Becomes a cage when the time is through [Chorus] So I shake the hands and I build the ties Not for myself, but for your future eyes I have to show you how the net is spun For the heavy days when my time is done I am gathering voices for the quiet to come A choir to hold you when my voice is numb [Verse 2] I cannot ask you to open the gate If I sit inside and silently wait The scales tip over, the balance falls If I only stare at our own four walls You need a circle that belongs to you And I need mine to make the mirror true Separate orbits in the same bright sky So the lines don't tangle when we say goodbye [Bridge] Every hour I spend away Every friend I learn to keep Is an anchor I drop in the water For the time when the water gets deep They think I am looking for a crowded room But I am just teaching you how to build the loom [Chorus] So I shake the hands and I build the ties Not for myself, but for your future eyes I have to show you how the net is spun For the heavy days when my time is done I am gathering voices for the quiet to come A choir to hold you when my voice is numb [Outro] I walk outside so you will follow. I build the bridge so you can cross. When the silence hits. You will have a hand to hold. You will not fall.