The Valve Reverend Goss Made Me Memorize (Stopcock)

Lyrics

[Intro]

[Verse 1]
In the utility room of Reverend Goss's parsonage,
built in 1892, stone walls damp with October chill,
I kneel before the mains water pipe,
lead tube from the era of Thomas Gill's patent, 1837.
The stopcock waits, brass handle etched with a faint cross,
green patina under my fingers, cold as 10 degrees Celsius.

[Chorus]
Turn it clockwise, ninety degrees,
feel the resistance give way with a screech.
Water flow halts, pressure drops in the lines,
from kitchen sink to the upstairs bath.
Emergency drill, every first Monday,
Reverend Goss timing me with his pocket watch.

[Verse 2]
Bucket underneath catches the last drips,
tin dented from years of forgotten floods.
Checklist on the wall, yellowed paper, black ink:
Step one, locate valve behind the coal scuttle.
Step two, grip handle, ignore the metallic tang in the air.
Step three, twist until the pipe sighs silent.

[Bridge]
Pemba watches from the doorway, smirking at the ritual.
Mrs. Patterson coughs upstairs, unaware of the shutoff.
But I recite it perfect, 7:00 AM sharp,
no bursts today, no divine intervention needed.

[Verse 3]
Thomas Gill's design, improved brass,
controls the flow like a sermon controls the flock.
In this room, musty with wet wood and iron rust,
I memorize the turn, the feel of control in my palm.

[Chorus]
Turn it clockwise, ninety degrees,
feel the resistance give way with a screech.
Water flow halts, pressure drops in the lines,
from kitchen sink to the upstairs bath.
Emergency drill, every first Monday,
Reverend Goss timing me with his pocket watch.

[Outro]
The valve remembers, I remember,
stopcock secure, parsonage safe.