Slow & Steady

You carved our initials
 Into these family trees
 But when the branches are bare and broken
 Love is so hard to reach
 We've learned to brace for the worst
 And to read the last pages first
 Surrender feels safe
 Maybe the soul is the soil that holds the fallen seed
 Or the light pouring down in between the rain clouds
 Daring life to reach
 Or maybe it's the rings in the trunk of the tree
 A birthmark time will leave
 To measure the past
 But we can't dream when we're wide awake
 Or fall in love with a heart too strong to break
 Faith is expensive to taste
 And time is borrowed loose change
 That's already been spent
 Maybe the soul is the tone of voice
 That unearthed the words that we needed...
 Maybe the soul is a suitcase that holds the backup plan
 A collection of keys and the patience we need
 To start again
 Maybe it's the thresholds that swallow us whole
 As we learn to let go
 In spite of the dirt on our clothes