My Father's Body

	My father’s body lies beneath the snow
	High on a hill in Holmes County, Ohio
	From there you can look out across the fields
	A farmer guides his horses home as day to darkness bends
	And finally yields
	Dad’s gravestone holds the words Be Still My Soul
	A song we sang together long ago
	And there were times we even shared one hymnbook
	His right hand and my left hand side-by-side holding pages
	Of music
	But now his hands hold nothing but the earth
	Hands that held me moments after my birth
	And so we must all finally surrender
	As we release our grip upon whatever we hold dear
	And call familiar
	My father’s body lies beneath the snow
	And I’m still learning how to let him go
	I’ve come to know him better since he’s gone
	And often wondered if or how I could’ve been a different
	Better son
	My father’s body lies beneath the snow
	Sometimes on Christmas Eve that’s where I go
	I hear faint Christmas bells from far away
	Ring out all the unspoken words I’ve never found within myself
	To say

	My father' s body lies beneath the snow
	High on a hill in Holmes County, Ohio
	From there you can look out across the fields
	A farmer guides his horses home as day to darkness bends
	And finally yields
	Dad' s gravestone holds the words Be Still My Soul
	A song we sang together long ago
	And there were times we even shared one hymnbook
	His right hand and my left hand sidebyside holding pages
	Of music
	But now his hands hold nothing but the earth
	Hands that held me moments after my birth
	And so we must all finally surrender
	As we release our grip upon whatever we hold dear
	And call familiar
	My father' s body lies beneath the snow
	And I' m still learning how to let him go
	I' ve come to know him better since he' s gone
	And often wondered if or how I could' ve been a different
	Better son
	My father' s body lies beneath the snow
	Sometimes on Christmas Eve that' s where I go
	I hear faint Christmas bells from far away
	Ring out all the unspoken words I' ve never found within myself
	To say