story: The Clockmaker’s Story
Verse 1
A tightness came this morning
before it had a name
then the mind came in behind it
and started building blame
it said, “This happened years ago”
it said, “You’re still not free”
it said, “You’ll never get there”
and called the whole thing me
But the chest was only aching
and the breath was moving through
and the thought about tomorrow
was appearing now too
the past was in a picture
the future in a line
and the story started walking
when the mind invented time
Chorus
Stories need time
they need before and after
they need a fall
they need a climb
they need a wound
they need a chapter
stories need time
But this breath doesn’t travel
this sound doesn’t wait
this moment isn’t early
this moment isn’t late
before the mind remembers
before it draws the line
there’s life without a storyline
stories need time
Verse 2
“I used to be so broken”
“I’m better than before”
“I’m almost at the doorway”
“I just need one thing more”
“I lost the thing I tasted”
“I’ll find it if I try”
“I’m somewhere in the middle”
between the earth and sky
But seeing is just seeing
and hearing simply hears
and the thought of all those decades
is appearing now as years
the one who has a journey
the one who has to climb
is woven out of memory
and stitched together with time
Chorus
Stories need time
they need before and after
they need a fall
they need a climb
they need a wound
they need a chapter
stories need time
But this breath doesn’t travel
this sound doesn’t wait
this moment isn’t early
this moment isn’t late
before the mind remembers
before it draws the line
there’s life without a storyline
stories need time
Bridge
No need to hate the story
no need to tear the page
the calendar is useful
and so is name and age
but don’t mistake the novel
for the hand that turns the light
don’t mistake the timeline
for the living of tonight
“Still” is time
“again” is time
“never” is time too
“one day I will finally be”
is time pretending you
but here there is no distance
here there is no race
just the thought of going somewhere
appearing in this space
Verse 3
The old self needs a history
the seeker needs a road
the sufferer needs a future
where it finally drops its load
the winner needs a finish
the failure needs a past
the one who says “I’m nearly there”
needs time enough to last
But the kettle keeps on boiling
and the rain is at the glass
and the dog is softly breathing
while the time-made stories pass
the body may remember
the mind may still design
but life is only happening
before the next storyline
Final Chorus
Stories need time
they need before and after
they need a loss
they need a sign
they need a wound
they need a chapter
stories need time
But this breath doesn’t travel
this sound doesn’t wait
this moment isn’t early
this moment isn’t late
before the mind remembers
before it draws the line
there’s life without a storyline
stories need time
Outro
Past is a picture
future is a rhyme
self is a traveller
made out of time
Now is not waiting
now does not climb
life is already here
before the storyline
