In the first line, third word, of Patty Larkin's song, Island of Time, I can't quite pick out the word, or at least all my guesses don't quite make sense to me. Can anyone help me out?

If the clock/cloth never lived before autumn comes on
And the fog and the rain passed the summer
If the golden rod blossoms and dies without sun
And we know that the snow's 'round the corner

There's comfort in coldness
From watching outside
As the smoke gently drifts from the chimney
And I hope that the love that I bear for you now
Will help you in hard times lie easy

If the birds weave their patterns among the still clouds
And they leave without sign of the lifting
If the thought of the months that will follow is hard
When you know that the seasons are shifting

There's comfort in warmth
If you watch from inside
As the snow gently drifts past the window
And I hope that the love that I bear for you now
Will help you in hard times lie easy