Morning Clear

The metal settles on the polished pine
A heavy circle resting on a line
You take your hands away without a word
The quietest departure ever heard

Between our cups the polished circle lies
Reflecting grey across the early skies
No need to ask what stays or what is gone
The quiet room prepares to meet the dawn

A simple slide across the wooden floor
A single turn to secure the front door

I turn the heavy latch and draw the line
To watch the morning clear across the pine
The cool brass leaves a circle in the frost
Without a single measure of what is lost

The hallway breathes a long and steady chill
The hallway window brightens on the sill
A silent weight surrendered from your grip
Before the final shadow had to slip

A simple slide across the wooden floor
A single turn to secure the front door

I turn the heavy latch and draw the line
To watch the morning clear across the pine
The cool brass leaves a circle in the frost
Without a single measure of what is lost

The bolt goes home with one decisive sound
No scattered pieces left upon the ground
The glass is pale, the yellow rises tall
No longer leaning on an empty wall

I turn the heavy latch and draw the line
To watch the morning clear across the pine
The cool brass leaves a circle in the frost
Without a single measure of what is lost

The morning clears
The latch is home