Reckless Design

[Verse 1]
Mama's Singer sewing machine from '78
Hums a low hymn I ain't heard as of late
Got your stack of old flannels, worn thin at the cuff
Faded from sun and from being loved rough
Cutting out squares by the kerosene light
Got a feeling 'bout this, feels dangerous and right

[Chorus]
Got a needle and thread and a reckless design
Piecing you back, one square at a time
This ain't just a quilt, it's a map I can read
A patchwork of you, a tangle of me

[Verse 2]
Found the one with the pocket that always held stones
Still smells like the creek and summer rain on the bones
Mama says, "Patsy, just let the laundry be,"
But this mess of color is talking to me
A blue from the mountains, a green from the pine
Stitching your laugh on a dotted white line

[Chorus]
Got a needle and thread and a reckless design
Piecing you back, one square at a time
This ain't just a quilt, it's a map I can read
A patchwork of you, a tangle of me

[Bridge]
They see a fool's errand, a frayed-at-the-seam ghost
I'm making the one thing our quiet house lost
Something to cover that empty porch chair
Something that proves you were actually there

[Chorus]
(Countermelody: Shenandoah twilight... a thread of your laugh...)
Got a needle and thread and a reckless design
Piecing you back, one square at a time
(Countermelody: The pattern ain't perfect... but Lord, it is mine...)
This ain't just a quilt, it's a map I can read
A patchwork of you, a tangle of me

[Outro]
The needle goes quiet against the cold frost
I'm mending the shape of whatever we lost