My Father’s House

Last night I dreamed that
I was a child
Out where the pines grow
Wild and tall
I was trying to
Make it home through the forest
Before the darkness falls

I heard the wind rustling
Through the trees
And ghostly voices
Rose from the fields
I ran with my heart pounding
Down that broken path
With the devil snappin' at my heels

I broke through the trees and
There in the night
My father's house stood
Shining hard and bright
The branches and brambles
Tore my clothes and scratched my arms
But I ran 'til I fell shaking in his arms

I awoke and I imagined
The hard things that pulled us apart
Will never again Sir
Tear us from each other's hearts
I got dressed and to that house
I did ride
From out on the road
I could see its windows shining in light

I walked up the steps and
Stood on the porch
A woman I didn't recognize
Came and spoke to me through a chained door
I told her my story
And who I'd come for
She said: "I'm sorry son but no one by that name
Lives here anymore"

My father's house shines
Hard and bright
It stands like a beacon
Calling me in the night
Calling and calling
So cold and alone
Shining 'cross this dark highway
Where our sins lie unatoned