the oak tower stands alone with gnarled arms from broken bones patched with scars shes tucked beneath her bough the air smells like metal the leaves become unsettled but their backs against the coming of the storm other trees relax their limbs bend and weave up besting glims as they stretch and limber up to not be torn pull close to what you know oh then let it go only in the end when the winds are calm again will they see those roots have held and who theyll mourn dark fingers from the east stretch out in swift and swirling reach until they catch and choke the light out of the sun and fold into a fist beat the mercy from the hills with the thunder of wild ponies on the run from dusk a mighty claim on the shoulders of a clave the river takes the rain holds on to while she can but she fears she may drown before its done oh oh the tower burns oh oh fortune turns the oak tower stands alone with gnarled arms from broken bones patched with scars shes tucked beneath her bough shes seen houses built and barns fall down children playing all around whose families lived and died in her front row winter smlls summer nights burning fires electric lights machines that turn to rust and fall apart shes held a thousand horses tied shes shelteres brides and grooms whove died shes watched as weathers evolved beneath the stars rises in the fire theres a beauty to it all her roots are thick beneath the earth she shakes her fist as rain gets worse it s just a little wind and rain and dark
['nashville singer-songwriter']