I hang from a salt-worn chain
He hides from the morning rain
He leans on a cold stone wall
Waiting for the city call
Silver watch in a shaking hand
Counting hours in a foreign land
Golden gears and a steady beat
Walking slow on a Roman street
His coat smells of brine and deep
While the sleepy cafes sleep
He wipes off a speck of grit
Where the morning lanterns lit
Silver watch in a shaking hand
Counting hours in a foreign land
Golden gears and a steady beat
Walking slow on a Roman street
I see every line and crease
Looking for a moment's peace
He winds me with a heavy thumb
Until the waking bells become
Steel and glass and cobblestone
Standing here and all alone
Ocean blue in a tired eye
Underneath a Roman sky
He remembers the crashing spray
And the ships that sailed away
Now he waits for the coffee steam
Like a vivid summer dream
Silver watch in a shaking hand
Counting hours in a foreign land
Golden gears and a steady beat
Walking slow on a Roman street
The shutters open with a crack
He turns his weathered shoulder back
He clicks my lid and checks the time
Listening to the steeple chime
Silver watch in a shaking hand
Counting hours in a foreign land
Golden gears and a steady beat
Walking slow on a Roman street
Silver and gold
The story is told
Tick tick tick tick
