The Half-Carved Wing

[Intro]
[Verse]
The dust settles on the pine
Sunlight cuts a golden line
Rust on the old iron saw
Left it there without a flaw
Cedar shavings on the floor
I don't hear him anymore
Quiet echoes in the hall
Shadows leaning on the wall
[Pre-Chorus]
The air is thick and still
Up against the window sill
I find a piece of heart
Where he made his art
[Chorus]
A bird with just one wing
Waiting for the woods to sing
Held in hands that knew the grain
Through the sun and through the rain
It’s a love he never spoke
Carved in cedar, carved in oak
[Post-Chorus]
Just a little piece of him
In the light so soft and dim
[Verse]
Rough edges under my thumb
Feel the way the fibers hum
He was smoothing out the rough
Guess he thought it was enough
Left the chisel by the jar
Tracing every little scar
Smell of oil and old tea
Like he’s standing next to me
[Pre-Chorus]
The violin starts to breathe
Watch the heavy spirit heave
I find a crumpled scrap
Hidden in a wooden trap
[Chorus]
A bird with just one wing
Waiting for the woods to sing
Held in hands that knew the grain
Through the sun and through the rain
It’s a love he never spoke
Carved in cedar, carved in oak
[Bridge]
Then I see the yellowed page
Tucked inside a wooden cage
“For the boy who’s grown so tall”
Words that catch me as I fall
Just a simple, shaking line
“Take your time, you’ll be fine”
He left the best for last
Walking slowly through the past
[Breakdown]
I pick up the sanding tool
Sitting on his wooden stool
One more stroke to make it right
In the fading afternoon light
[Chorus]
Now the bird has both its wings
Listen to the way it sings
Held in hands that know the grain
Through the sun and through the rain
It’s a love we finally spoke
Carved in cedar, carved in oak
[Hook]
I’m doing fine, Grandpa
I’m doing fine
I’m doing fine, Grandpa
One line at a time
[Outro]