[Intro: Fingerpicked acoustic guitar, soft pedal steel swells, 8 bars] [Verse 1: Acoustic guitar, warm bass undertone] Boots worn thin on granite stone Breath like smoke in morning air Thirty years I've climbed alone Carrying ghosts I couldn't bear [Verse 2: Pedal steel accents enter, sparse percussion] Map’s all faded, trail’s erased But these bones still know the way Past the pines where thunder raced To the place I swore I’d stay [Chorus: Full acoustic strum, layered pedal steel, deep vocals] And the sky broke open soft and wide Mist rolled back like a curtain drawn All the weight I carried died In the hush of this gentle dawn [Inst: Pedal steel solo, ambient guitar harmonics, 8 bars] [Verse 3: Acoustic fingerpicking returns, intimate vocal] Felt a lump inside my coat Dug it out—your brass old guide Still pointing true, though you’re remote From that last hike we took with pride [Chorus: Richer arrangement, vocal harmony enters] And the sky broke open soft and wide Mist rolled back like a curtain drawn All the words I left unsaid ride On the wind since you’ve been gone [Bridge: Minimal guitar, vocal raw and close] Didn’t come here for answers, Dad Just to stand where you once stood Watch the world turn gold and glad Like you said it always would [Chorus: Full band swell, sustained steel, emotional peak] AND THE SKY BROKE OPEN SOFT AND WIDE! MIST ROLLED BACK LIKE A CURTAIN DRAWN! I WHISPER THANKS—I’M FINALLY GLAD TO BE ALONE, BUT NOT FORLORN [Outro: Guitar fades, pedal steel lingers, 6 bars]