Dead Bonsai

Lyrics

[Verse 1] You set the little pot beside the sink A saucer stained the color of old tea The clippers lay unopened in the drawer While one dry branch kept reaching toward the glass [Chorus] Dead bonsai, living no more I count the rings the small years left behind You kept its shape with patient hands And watched the green leave one leaf at a time [Verse 2] The tag still bears the date you brought it home Your careful script has faded at the fold I lift the pot; the soil gives nothing back Just pale roots tangled tight around a stone [Chorus] Dead bonsai, living no more I count the rings the small years left behind You kept its shape with patient hands And watched the green leave one leaf at a time [Bridge] You say, “It lasted longer than we thought” Then turn the empty saucer in your hands I want to tell you something kind and true But all I have is dirt beneath my nails [Outro] We leave the pot beside the sink The window stays the same