The Old Gate Leans

At the edge of the winter field
I held the letter you never sealed.
The paper smelled of cedar smoke
And carried the weight of every word you broke.

I did not ask the road to turn,
I let the quiet have its say.
Some things survive because they learn
To leave without being carried away.

I will walk where the old gate leans
Past the ash and the evergreen.
With your name folded in my coat
And a promise I no longer owe,
If the morning calls me back
I will answer without looking back.

The river has changed its course
Since the summer we lost its source.
A rusted bell above the mill
Still rings when the northern air stands still.

I have forgiven the hands of time
For taking what they could not keep
The heart can cross an empty line
And find a different kind of sleep.

I will walk where the old gate leans
Past the ash and the evergreen
With your name folded in my coat
And a promise I no longer owe.
If the morning calls me back,
I will answer without looking back.

Let the hills remember us kindly,
Let the rain erase the stone.
I was never meant to carry,
What was yours and yours alone.

I will walk where the old gate leans
Past the ash and the evergreen
With your name folded in my coat
And a life that I can finally hold.
When the morning calls me back,
I will answer, and I will not turn back.

The old gate leans.
The river runs.
I leave the letter
And face the sun.
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https://disk.yandex.ru/d/s3ygaoW3qdXBqQ

Instrumental composition is available at the following link:

https://disk.yandex.ru/d/aFI8askIQFvsrQ

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The Old Gate Leans («Старые ворота покосились»)

О чём эта песня
Иногда прошлое не нужно забывать — достаточно перестать его вспоминать. Старые ворота остаются, река продолжает течь, письмо можно оставить. И идти дальше.

Это история о человеке, который наконец отпускает прошлое. Он ещё хранит письмо и память о том, что было, но уже понимает: не всё, что когда-то связывало нас с другим человеком, мы обязаны нести дальше. Что-то лучше оставить позади — и идти вперёд, навстречу новому дню.