Pre-dawn morning's misty light
Battles with the dark of night.
And as the shadows shift to day,
I wonder what my house will say.

The stairs are creaking,
Pipes are leaking,
Rafters softly groan;
So I smile and I hum along,
For I am not alone.

I sweep the floors,
Once, twice, again.
I scrub the silverware, and then,
I sit upon my rocking chair
And wonder when.
I wonder when.

The stairs are creaking,
Pipes are leaking,
Rafters softly groan;
So I smile and I hum along,
For I am not alone.

The road is void;
The path forlorn.
And yet I rise to check each morn,
Is my baby coming back?
Is my boy safe,
Safe from Iraq?

The stairs are creaking,
Pipes are leaking,
Rafters softly groan;
So I smile and I hum along,
For I am not alone.

Never has his shadow spread
Upon the gravel way.
Never has his silhouette
Outlined the dawn of day.
Never has his face appeared,
Never has he come.
My eyelids have grown heavy;
My heartbeats have grown numb.




The stairs are creaking,
Pipes are leaking,
Rafters softly groan;
So I smile and I hum along,
For I am not alone.

Upon another misty dawn,
I hear the rafters moan and yawn.
My boy is home, he holds my hand.
He's come home from the wretched land.

The stairs are creaking,
Pipes are leaking,
Rafters softly groan;
So I smile and I hum along,
For I am not alone.

My soul sings out,
My smile renews.
My son is back to keep.
My heart is warmed,
But my eyes are tired,
And soon I'll need to sleep.

The stairs will quiet.
The pipes will still.
The rafters will hold their own.
And my boy may be by himself,

But he won't be alone.