Her bones bring down her body
Her smile holds up her face
She's in a chair
They forget she's there
Just thinking about the human race
When they come to visit
They talk like she's not home
She keeps track of time by TV shows
She's in need
But she needs to be left alone
It's the 98 steps
To the doctor
And the wait they have inside
It's how they seem to
Talk at her
And how she leaves each visit
With a little less pride
It's the words that don't come out
Quite the way they should
It's the holding onto memories
She'd hold onto if she could
Beyond the garden gate
You'll find the Earth-Kind rose
Reaching for the light
Underneath a bed of snow
Springtime is near
What he planted still grows
Blooms year after year
Just like the Earth-Kind rose
It's the ceiling fan out of balance
It's the ladder he can't climb
It's the grocery store
And the need for more
And ending up
At the back of the line
It's the pipe that broke
In the last big freeze
And that plumber
That padded the bill
It's the too tired to fight
Yet one more fight
Or take yet one more pill
Beyond the garden gate
You'll find the Earth-Kind rose
Reaching for the light
Underneath a bed of snow
Springtime is near
What he planted still grows
Blooms year after year
Just like the Earth-Kind rose
It's time for him to go back inside
It's time to change her sheets
He's gonna look her in the eyes
And see who she used to be
Sometimes he turns the engine
When the wind begs him to leave
Then he lays down by her side
Until she falls asleep
Beyond the garden gate
You'll find the Earth-Kind rose
Reaching for the light
Underneath a bed of snow
Springtime is near
What he planted still grows
Blooms year after year
Just like the Earth-Kind rose