The Bigger Picture - Stornoway

you may have seen the thread of silver on the window in the bathroom

that was thicker than the thread your heart was hanging from

you may have seen the lid of darkness clamping down upon a sunset

no less tightly than your heart was beating strong

in the bigger picture, there’s a thread thirteen times thinner

in the bigger picture, there’s a lid fourteen times tighter

in the bigger picture, there’s a night fifteen times darker

and it’ll hold you like no other, in the bigger picture…

you may have seen the first star flickering in the park one summer evening

no less faintly than the dream your heart was wishing on you may have seen the seagull circling on the haze above the factory

with more purpose than the course your life was on but if you haven’t seen the places you have come from

then you haven’t seen how far you have come

in the bigger picture, there’s a star sixteen times fainter

in the bigger picture, there’s a course seventeen times straighter

in the bigger picture, there’s a dream eighteen times greater

and it’ll steer you like no other, in the bigger picture…

you may have seen the blazing bonfire burning bright in fickle beauty

that was turned to lifeless ashes in the morning

you may have seen the single snowdrop where it shivered in the graveyard

no less fragile than the soul to which you cling

but if you haven’t seen the people you have come from

then you haven’t seen the person you’ve become

in the bigger picture, there’s no answer to your prayers

(in the bigger picture) but there’s a billion other fires

in the bigger picture, you’ll learn how to build yours higher

when you’ve seen the savage wonder in the bigger picture…

in the bigger picture, there’s a sea breeze three times fresher

and it’ll make your two eyes water, in the bigger picture…