Ashen Echoes of the Roost

Lyrics

Verse 1 He laughed at the weight of a truthful tongue Said, “Honesty’s slow, and I’m still young” Counted his coins like they’d make him clean Called it “winning” — called it “being seen” He fed his friends from a borrowed feast But every bite had a hidden beast “Look how we’re blessed,” he’d proudly say While carving the roots of the ground away ⸻ Verse 2 A fox in the coop with a velvet grin Selling the feathers, the bones, the skin He never stole — just “moved things around” Till nothing was left but a hollowed ground “Not greed,” he said, “just knowing the game” “If they get rich, we all get the same” But barns don’t stand when the beams are sold And warmth don’t last when you burn the cold ⸻ Pre-Chorus There’s a whisper older than his gold A quiet truth that’s always told You can outrun men, outpace the law But not the weight of what you saw ⸻ Chorus All the chickens come home to roost Every lie bears living proof You can stack it high, you can dress it clean But rot runs deeper than it seems Dust will rise and smoke will fall Nothing left to hide at all When the mirrors crack and the lights go dim Truth’s been waiting there for him ⸻ Verse 3 He walked through fields that he used to own Now stripped to dirt and silent stone No voice to cheer, no crowd to blame Just echoes whispering back his name The friends he fed had long since gone Each took their share and carried on What he called “giving” was just a trade And every debt had to be repaid ⸻ Bridge There’s a law no man can bend A road that breaks before it ends You build on ash, you dine on lies You inherit smoke instead of skies ⸻ Verse 4 But far from him, where the air runs clear A remnant rose without the fear They carried weight that wasn’t their own And built with truth as the cornerstone No crowns of gold, no hunger for more Just open hands and a common store They learned the cost of a broken past And swore together it would not last ⸻ Final Chorus Let the chickens come home to roost Let the fire reveal the truth From the ruin, a different way Where no one profits from decay When the dust has settled thin There’s a light that still gets in And the ones who carry what others lose Are the ones who never have to choose