足跡の行き先

霧に濡れた路面、白い息がほどける 水たまりに逆さの月が揺れる 近づいては消える足音 ほどけた靴紐のまま　同じ角を曲がる 景色は名前だけ変えて現れる 針のない時計が　夜を測り 折り目だらけの地図がポケットで軋む 息を潜めて　一拍を捨てる 影が二つに増えた気がした 止んだ拍のすぐあとで 見えないドアが　かすかに鳴る 足跡の行き先　今　示して 円を描いても　中心は変わる 迷いが濃くなるほど　輪郭ははっきり 最後の一歩で　僕は辿りつく 落ちるビートを　肩で受け止め 消えた旋律の隙間に風が入る 「戻れ」と「進め」が交互に点滅し ポケットの鍵が　やっと音を立てた 立ち止まる一秒で　世界は折りたたまれ 次の一秒で　線になってほどける 閉じた瞼の裏の　細い光へ 深く吸い込み　踏み出していく 足跡の行き先　静かに照らせ ループの夜を抜ける合図を 諦めかけた瞬間　扉は外へ開く 「ここだ」と内側から声がする もしも何も変わらないのなら 僕が変わって　風向きを変える 隠していた震えまで抱きしめと 足跡の行き先は　ここに結ぶ 円ではなく　ほどけた線で 迷いの分だけ　強く踏みしめ 最後の一歩で　僕は場所になる 足跡の行き先は　ここに結ぶ ループの夜を抜けた線で 迷いの分だけ　強く踏みしめ 最後の一歩で　僕は場所になる 朝が舗道をうすく染める 振り向けば　輪はもうない 新しい靴音が 遠くの僕に追いついていく

Mist-wet pavement, my white breath comes undone A moon hangs upside down, swaying in the puddle Footsteps draw near, then fade to none Shoelaces still loose, I turn the same corner again The scenery returns with nothing but its name changed A clock without hands keeps measuring the night A creased-over map groans inside my pocket I hold my breath and let one beat fall away For a moment I thought my shadow had split in two Right after the beat that died An unseen door rings out, faint and low Show me now where these footprints are headed I draw a circle, yet the center keeps shifting The deeper the doubt, the sharper the outline grows On the final step, I finally arrive I catch the falling beat upon my shoulder Wind slips through the gaps the lost melody left “Turn back” and “go on” flicker on and off in turn The key in my pocket at last makes a sound In the one second I stop, the world folds shut In the next, it unfolds into a single line Toward the thin light behind my closed eyelids I breathe in deep and step my way forward Show me, softly, where these footprints lead The signal to break free of this looping night The instant I almost gave up, the door swings outward “It is here,” a voice calls from within If nothing at all is ever going to change Then I will change, and turn the wind around I hold even the trembling I once hid, close to me These footprints find their end right here Not in a circle, but in a line set free For every doubt, I press my step down harder On the final step, I become the place These footprints find their end right here In a line that broke free of the looping night For every doubt, I press my step down harder On the final step, I become the place Morning stains the walkway in pale light I turn to look, and the loop is already gone A new sound of footsteps catches up to the distant me