After the kettle clicks

Intro — spoken

The kettle's loud in here

You don't notice

Till it stops

Verse 1 — rhythmic spoken word

You turned the ring round the base of your cup

I started a sentence then covered it up

Said work's been a lot

You said I know

Your bag by the chair nowhere ready to go

I'd answered you sharply an hour before

You'd asked if I wanted some food from the store

Nothing enormous

That's why it felt worse

You came through the door and I gave you my nerves

Now steam on the cupboard

Rain down the glass

Me finding a reason to walk right past

A spoon needed washing

My phone needed charge

Small jobs multiplying whenever things got hard

Hook

After the kettle clicks

Let the quiet sit

I can stay here with you

Through the difficult bit

You don't have to reach for me

I can move my chair

After the kettle clicks

I'll still be there

Verse 2 — spoken, slightly tighter rhythm

I said you know how I get when I'm tired

You looked at the clock

I heard what that implied

Tried again

I took it out on you

No clever explanation to soften the truth

You said you'd been waiting all day to come round

Then stood in the hallway and wanted out

I wanted to tell you how bad that made me feel

Caught myself halfway

Let you finish your meal

The fridge started humming

A bus passed below

You asked why I never just let you know

I said sometimes I don't know till it spills

You said you can tell me that too you know

I sat still

Hook

After the kettle clicks

Let the quiet sit

I can stay here with you

Through the difficult bit

You don't have to reach for me

I can move my chair

After the kettle clicks

I'll still be there

Bridge — nearly spoken

Do you want me to leave

No

A small word

Late

But mine

You put your bag down

I stopped watching the time

Final Hook — warm, restrained

After the kettle clicks

Let the quiet sit

There's a little tea left

We can finish it

You don't have to reach for me

I can move my chair

After the kettle clicks

I'll still be there

Outro — spoken

Yours went cold

Let me make it again