The Bird In The Gravel

I was dreaming in the steam room
Everything was so clear for a minute
And I thought, and the dripping tiles and
And I said, I'll confess everything"

Yes, I own this land, I own these forests
Surrounding my, my estate
This is my tea coming
Everything I can, I confess

Bend now, I have the bend
The best I ever, place the tea just so
Then release and turn, oh no, not yet
Then release and turn, turn away then go

Better try again looking at me
He's wait 'til tomorrow, don't want him to know
Next time he orders tea, release and turn
Turn and limp away, turn and limp away

I was walking through the forest
On my break today
I had this funny feeling
Something was going to change

I was walking through the dry leaves
It was very strange
They hadn't changed their color

All the leaves were green
I don't mind when it's over
I don't mind when it's all done
It's just the moments in between

Just before it's gone
Something's going to happen
Something's going to change
I know, I know, I know

And when autumn comes, well, there's lots of work to do
Bill, that means you, time to clean the kettles
And the pots on the wall, pickling and preserving
All the vegetables, stop kicking the apples
Are we pickling this year? Yes, you know we are

And when autumn comes
Well, there's lots of work to do
Bill, that means you, time to get the twigs up
You know, all those stick things

Time to trim back the roses
So next year even more grow
Does it hurt them to do that?
Does it hurt them? No

And when autumn comes
Well, deliveries start to go
Here he is now, down into the valley
To the market he goes

Down along the tiny roads
That wind along the vineyards
And people lean on their rakes
And they say, Hello, hello, there Francesco
Francesco there, hello

And those are my swans
Believe me, there's no light
And there isn't because it's so dark
Because it's so dark, because it's so dark

I was walking through the dry leaves
It was very strange
The leaves fell without changing
No yellows and no reds

Something's going to happen
Something's going to change
And just then as I looked up
I remembered what you said

I'm crying because I love you
I know that things must change
I can't be there when you leave
What if you're afraid?

You said, something about the leaving
The moments in between the yawning
When the world shifts
The clanging of the trains

And a dog sits up and growls
And a cow begins to bawl
And a nun nearby stops to listen
Cross herself and then move on

I was laughing in the forest
I fell down in the leaves
And I watched the trees above me
Crossing in the breeze

I love the bare branches
I love the healing bells
The bareness in the last sun
The greyness and the gold

And a flock of geese flew over
And I laughed harder still
I laughed 'til I was heaving
Then everything was still

Bend now, I have the bend
Place the tea just so
Then release and turn, oh, not yet
Turn away then go, better try again
He's looking at me, wait until tomorrow

Don't want him to know, next time, time he orders tea
Release and turn, turn and limp away
Limp away just go, turn away just go
Just go, just go, just go