The Flowerbottom Feast and the Falling Snow

[Verse 1] (Soft fingerpicking begins, gentle and steady like falling snow) The hearthfire crackles warm and low In Flowerbottom's gnomish home below The season's come, the ale does flow And fragrant smoke begins to gently grow Woven in the pudding, in the festive pie And curling from the pipes held up so high Games are played 'neath decorations bright A cozy, hazy, midwinter's night Carlos Greeneyed hums a carol's tune Beneath the gnomish stars and silver moon He trims the tree with baubles old and new His heart as golden as the morning dew He cooks the feast, the spiced and savory things While Esmeralda counts the cost it brings (Slight pause, tempo holds steady) [Chorus] (Slightly fuller strumming, gentle swell) Oh, the snow falls soft on Flowerbottom ground Where love and worry twirl around and 'round He gives his gifts to strangers passing near She bites her lip, she hides a silent tear The Golden Boy, The Chosen One, so free His Rachel frets for their security Like Jack and his C****e Bride, a spectral pair Or Gotham's chaos filling up the air (Slow, held chord, let it resonate) [Verse 2] (Return to fingerpicking, perhaps slightly more intricate) He sets the table, lights the candle's gleam Lost in a bardic, druidic dream Of sharing all, of spreading festive cheer To every soul, to anyone who's near He packs a basket, fills it to the brim With roasted nuts and carols just for him To sing aloud on some cold, distant street Where unknown faces and old neighbors meet Esmee Feather-Foot, she watches from the door Her foot taps lightly on the wooden floor She brought the coin, she earned the silver bright He spends it freely in the fading light On others' joy, on fleeting, warm delight While she tallies bills by candlelight (Slight pause, a single high note lingers) [Chorus] (Fuller strumming returns, gentle swell) Oh, the snow falls soft on Flowerbottom ground Where love and worry twirl around and 'round He gives his gifts to strangers passing near She bites her lip, she hides a silent tear The Golden Boy, The Chosen One, so free His Rachel frets for their security Like Jack and his C****e Bride, a spectral pair Or Gotham's chaos filling up the air (Slow, held chord, let it resonate. Pause for reflection) [Bridge] (Tempo slows slightly, simpler chords, more space between phrases) She worries for him, walking out alone In winter's chill, far from their hearthstone She fears his kindness leaves them bare and thin A gnome-sized storm raging deep within But Carlos laughs, a sound like tinkling bells "Dear Esmee, love, where true compassion dwells, Abundance follows, magic finds its way!" He kisses her frown, tries to make it sway She sees the light that dances in his eyes The foolish hope that never truly dies A sitcom husband, lost but ever true His Robin watching everything he'll do His Harley, sometimes furious, sometimes fond This complex bond on Flowerbottom's pond (Longer pause. Instrumental interlude - gentle, melancholic melody on acoustic guitar or flute, suggesting a shared quiet moment, perhaps looking out a window at the snow. 30 seconds or so. Fades slightly.) [Verse 3] (Fingerpicking returns, softer than before, intimate) The feast is done, the finest ales are drained Through happy haze, a gentle peace is gained Carlos strums a lute, a soft refrain Esmeralda sighs, releases some small pain She watches him, this chaos wrapped in gold This story that their different lives have told The Joker's grin, yet pure of heart and deed Her Two-Face, torn by worry and by need But in this moment, snowflakes drifting down She smooths the worry from her troubled frown She takes his hand, a truce for Christmas Eve In what they lack, and what they still believe (Silence for 4 beats) [Final Chorus] (Very slow, deliberate strumming, each chord given space) Oh, the snow falls soft on Flowerbottom ground Where love and worry twirl around and 'round He gave his gifts to strangers passing near Her silent tear... becomes a crystal clear... Reflection of the love that holds them tight On this... hushed... midwinter... night... (Very long, fading chord. Silence for 8 beats. Then, spoken softly, gently, over a single sustained, quiet note:) Now... inhale... four seconds... (Pause for listener to inhale) Hold... four seconds... (Pause for hold) And release... four seconds... (Pause for release) Like a breathing exercise... That's good... Like that... That's good... (Single note fades to complete silence)