Reason To Keep Going

[Verse 1]
Coffee's gone cold on the counter
Your mug's still stainin' the stone
There’s a dent in your side of the mattress
I still sleep there alone
I talk to your coat on the hanger
Ask if you’re comin' back home
But it just sways on its wire
Like it don't wanna know
[Chorus]
Give me one small reason to keep goin'
One weak flame I can hold in this dark
I'm countin' these cracks in the ceiling
Like prayers that fell apart
If you're out there hearin' me tremble
If you still remember my name
Give me one small reason to keep goin'
'Cause I'm drownin' in this quiet and shame
[Verse 2]
Your boots by the door gather dust now
Still turned the way you walked away
I trace every scuff with my finger
Like maybe you'll turn back someday
My friends say "you're stronger than heartbreak"
I fake up a brave little grin
But the moment this porch light is empty
That silence comes crashin' back in
[Chorus]
Give me one small reason to keep goin'
One weak flame I can hold in this dark
I'm countin' these cracks in the ceiling
Like prayers that fell apart
If you're out there hearin' me tremble
If you still remember my name
Give me one small reason to keep goin'
'Cause I'm drownin' in this quiet and shame
[Bridge]
Did I love you right
Or just hold too tight
Did I miss some sign on the way
Now I'm breathin' air
But it's empty air
And I don't know how to stay
[Chorus]
So give me one small reason to keep goin'
One weak flame I can guard with these hands
I'm standin' out here in the doorway
Still waitin' where your shadow once ran
If there's mercy left in the mornin'
If there's somethin' more than this pain
Give me one small reason to keep goin'
Or I'll lay down in this silence again

country, Slow, soulful country ballad with male vocals; brushed snare and dusty upright bass under a warm, slightly detuned piano; verses lean on intimate baritone and close-mic breath, chorus opens with swelling pedal steel and soft organ pad; subtle three-part harmonies lifting key lines; dynamic arc grows from near-whisper confession to a ragged, tear-edged final chorus, ending on a lone voice and lingering steel slide, soulful, ballad, deep, raw