Pine Rail Promise

[Verse 1]
Heard your voice crackle, like dry kindling on the line,
Said, 'That old porch rail's got a wobble, son, a slow, deep sigh.'
Said, 'That cedar post, it's a-leanin' to the east,
Needs a new bedrock set, 'fore the winter's chill increased.'
Never spoke of what was comin', just the splinters and the rust,
Talked about the wood's own sinew, how a good man you can trust.

[Chorus]
Oh, that sagging porch rail, kept his heart a-beatin' strong,
Said, 'Boy, a sturdy hand-hold helps you know where you belong.'

[Verse 2]
He recalled the old-growth timber, where the saw took its first bite,
How the burdock claimed the shadows, bathed in pale morning light.
Swore the squirrels were conspiring, chewin' through the weathered brace,
Said, 'They're testing nature's patience, at a far too hurried pace.'
Like a root through stubborn clay, his words kept digging deep,
Planting small instructions, for the promises to keep.

[Chorus]
Oh, that sagging porch rail, kept his heart a-beatin' strong,
Said, 'Boy, a sturdy hand-hold helps you know where you belong.'

[Bridge]
A woodpecker tapped a rhythm, on the old oak by the shed,
A quiet, steady drumming, for the things that went unsaid.
He was building more than lumber, in that last, sweet, phone call's gleam,
Weaving an enduring pattern, like a wild mountain stream.

[Outro]
Still see that phantom hammer, swinging steady through the pine,
His porch rail grace, forever woven, in this heart of mine.