Silk Ribbon

Silk Ribbon


When I wanted the space
You gave me a hiding place
Gave me fresh tears of joy running down my face
You gave me pain
Doubled over, I was never the same
I feel like I never said thank you for that

You gave me a road when I wanted to run
Gave me lightning and rain then fresh air and sun
You gave me your son
Gave me another battle every time I won
And when I didn’t, you gave me the quiet to come undone
I just feel like I never said thank you for that

Every single time I breathed
Like a rhythmic wave, you gave it to me
You gave me people that would stay and people that would leave
Gave me the courage to let them retreat
And at the end of it all you gave me this peace
I feel like I never said thank you for that

You gave me an angel, he had brown eyes, both times
You gave me a dance, and I heard heaven’s chimes
The song was faint and his light was mine
And I was struck speechless by the beauty
Completely devoid of all rhymes
I feel like I never said thank you for that

You gave the black of a crow, the white of a dove
Gave the cradle and graveyard as symbols of love
You gave me your attention when I gave you what I had and it didn’t seem like much
And I’ve fallen enough to know you aren’t always up above
Because I bow my head and there you are: as low as me to pick me up
I feel like I never said thank you for that

You gave me time
In its highest prime
Every moment it crawled, every moment of flight
You gave me the button to press rewind
And I looked but it was never in the past, what I hoped to find
I feel like I never said thank you for that

Under the dark snow
You gave me sorrow
Gave me a lightened candle in the window
You gave me everything you are and everything I’ve known
And even after all of that, you gave me a chance to let go
I feel like I never said thank you for that

Sitting here now, I feel I’m breaking
It’s like I’m never quite there, always something in the making
Well I’ve just opened my eyes to all I’ve been given
And I’m shredding at the ends, like a single silk ribbon
You give and give
And I live and live

You give and give
And I live and live
You’re always giving, providing for me
And most of the time, I’m too occupied by such small, small things
But you’re always giving, even when you take
And I am so entirely overcome, I feel I have nothing worthy to say

Maybe it’s all crashing over me again
A replay of the song that never really ends
I just turned the volume down
And now it’s back on max
Through all that you gave You’re saying “I love you”
And oh, how I ache to love you back.

And I feel like I never said thank you for that.
I feel I cannot be grateful enough.
But thank you for that.
Thank you for that.
Help me understand
Help me so I can, with all my being, love you back.