Rowing Out at Dusk

Lyrics

My father kept a little boat
Tied up beside the reeds
He'd row us out when supper's done
Past the lilies and the weeds
The oars would drip like quiet bells
The water turned to glass
And all the day's loud worries
Would just float off and pass

So I'm rowing out at dusk
With the slow gold sinking low
Every stroke a little softer
Every ripple saying go
There's nothing here to carry
But the evening and my breath
I'm rowing out at dusk
And the lake forgives the rest

A heron lifts from the shallows
Like a thought I almost had
The far shore turns to lantern-lit
The windows warm and glad
I trail my hand through the cold clear
And watch the circles spread
Each one a thing I've let go of
Each one a word unsaid

So I'm rowing out at dusk
With the slow gold sinking low
Every stroke a little softer
Every ripple saying go
There's nothing here to carry
But the evening and my breath
I'm rowing out at dusk
And the lake forgives the rest

When I was young I thought
That staying still was standing small
Now I know the quiet water
Is the biggest thing of all
So I'll rest the oars a moment
Let the boat drift where it may
The stars are coming one by one
To light the long way

So I'm rowing out at dusk
With the slow gold sinking low
Every stroke a little softer
Every ripple saying go
There's nothing here to carry
But the evening and my breath
I'm rowing out at dusk
And the lake forgives the rest

Drip, drip, the oars keep time
The lake forgives the rest