Half-Drawn Roads

[Intro] Soft footsteps echo down familiar halls Dust motes dance in the fading light I pocket the heat of yesterday’s warmth And breathe out the quiet of goodnight [Verse 1] This town wore my laughter like a well-loved coat Stitch by stitch, it kept me warm through storms Now the sleeves feel loose, the pockets feel light I walk the corners where memories form [Pre-Chorus] If I close my eyes, I can hear the clock pause As if the walls themselves are letting go A gentle ache, the kind that rearranges bones And teaches a heart to grow [Chorus] I’m leaving with a map only half-drawn Carrying the songs of where I’ve been Counted stars on the road I’m stepping on To a future that calls me from within Bittersweet, but hopeful, I rise again [Verse 2] Faces blur into a soft goodbye’s hue Like autumn light that lingers after rain I carry every locker, every whispered truth In the chest where the old names remain [Pre-Chorus] If I listen close, I hear the river say Promises drift on the current of time I walk toward the dawn with a quieter flame Learning how to leave without blame [Chorus] I’m leaving with a map only half-drawn Carrying the songs of where I’ve been Counted stars on the road I’m stepping on To a future that calls me from within Bittersweet, but hopeful, I rise again [Bridge] Memory’s lighthouse on a distant shore Guides me to steps I’ve yet to take I’m not abandoning what I loved before I’m choosing the path I’m meant to make [Chorus] I’m leaving with a map only half-drawn Carrying the songs of where I’ve been Counted stars on the road I’m stepping on To a future that calls me from within Bittersweet, but hopeful, I rise again [Outro] So I whisper thanks to the town that grew me Fold its light into the fold of my skin I’ll carry the ache like a quiet blessing And begin again where new days begin