Come Across

[Verse 1]
I left the chain unhooked again
The porch light caught the rain
You found the boards beneath your feet
And crossed without a name
I kept a chair beside the door
A cup beside the sink
You took the warmth, you took the map
And never stopped to think

[Pre-Chorus]
I don’t count the steps you owe
I don’t keep a ledger near
Still I watch the far bank quiet
Wonder if you’ll meet me here

[Chorus]
Come across, the way is open
No coin down, no promise made
I’ll keep one hand upon the railing
While your footsteps fade away
Come across, the boards are steady
Take the room I made for you
I won’t ask you to return it
Though I wish you sometimes would

[Verse 2]
Your muddy shoes beside the mat
Your laugh still in the hall
I learned the shape of giving space
And never naming all
When winter raised the river high
I held the lantern low
You crossed to where the fields were warm
Then let the current flow

[Pre-Chorus]
I don’t count the steps you owe
I don’t keep a ledger near
Still I watch the far bank quiet
Wonder if you’ll meet me here

[Chorus]
Come across, the way is open
No coin down, no promise made
I’ll keep one hand upon the railing
While your footsteps fade away
Come across, the boards are steady
Take the room I made for you
I won’t ask you to return it
Though I wish you sometimes would

[Bridge]
Maybe welcome is a doorway
Maybe love can leave it wide
But a bridge can hold a crossing
And still ache on its own side

[Final Chorus]
Come across, the way is open
No coin down, no promise made
I’ll keep one hand upon the railing
While your footsteps fade away
Come across, the boards are steady
Take the room I made for you
I won’t ask you to return it
Though I wish you sometimes would

[Outro]
The boards stay where I laid them
The gate swings in the breeze
I leave the path unguarded
And hope you think of me