That Slow and Steady Rot Lyrics

Down behind the greenhouse there's a compost pile knee-high

That the black flies like to frequent

Where the gardeners stop breathing to pass by

The wet and wilt the mold and silt

Are warm and soft and dying to embrace

A kiss of life from death: that slow and steady rot

In some secret courtyard where the ivy measures miles

On the backside of forever

Where the only form of breathing comes in sighs

You're standing still, your hope and guilt

Have brought you here. You're trying not to waste

Your memories of light: that slow and steady rot

A step begets a promise of a second wind

An end begets an honour to begin again

Our golden hour's a friend

And growing now means loving where we've been

Deep within the compost lies a soggy heart at rest

Something's stirring in the chambers

The moss and mud and microbes know it best

A breath, a sigh, and brought to life

From refuse and a green and tender grace

Young roots now holding in that slow and steady