Meter reads zero on the dash
Fog horn blows low past the pier
Copper hands wait in my palm
Tide chart marks another year
Spring winds tighten every coil
Gear teeth mesh with patient grace
Apprentice watches dial hands turn
Dawn paints silver on his face
Time keeps ticking on the dock
Ferry never comes to shore
Clockmaker smiles at empty slips
Apprentice sweeps the wooden floor
Time keeps ticking on the dock
Oil stains map the years I've driven
Night shift ends at morning's edge
Brass pendulum swings true and steady
Dock boards creak beneath the ledge
Spring winds tighten every coil
Gear teeth mesh with patient grace
Apprentice watches dial hands turn
Dawn paints silver on his face
Time keeps ticking on the dock
Ferry never comes to shore
Clockmaker smiles at empty slips
Apprentice sweeps the wooden floor
Time keeps ticking on the dock
Rope coils sleep on cleats of iron
Seagulls cry above the mast
Passenger seat stays empty now
First light breaks the harbor's glass
Pocket watch clicks in my vest
Escapement sings its measured song
No fare today, no destination
Just the rhythm, calm and long
Time keeps ticking on the dock
Ferry never comes to shore
Clockmaker smiles at empty slips
Apprentice sweeps the wooden floor
Time keeps ticking on the dock
Tempered steel sings in the quiet
Balance wheel finds center point
Taxi rests, the engine cooling
Dawn arrives on schedule, joint
Time keeps ticking on the dock
Ferry never comes to shore
Clockmaker smiles at empty slips
Apprentice sweeps the wooden floor
Time keeps ticking on the dock
Time keeps ticking on the dock
Brass gears turn in cold salt air
Wooden planks hold morning light