Essays, Art and Plays by Dan

Porchlight Always On

Pickin’ slow, strings hum and sigh,
Old banjo sings while the crickets reply.
Dogs start barkin’, wind rolls by,
Bible open, jug close by —
Oh wait… where’d my banjo fly?

Ain’t no fence, just this porch and me,
Lost my pick — guess I’ll play off-key.
If your boots are heavy, drop that pack,
Pull up close, don’t look back.
This porchlight glows — no strings attached.

From dusk till dawn, it keeps its song,
Even if my chords come out all wrong.
We don’t judge — we hum along,
Break that bread, keep faith strong,
You made it home — welcome to the throng.

No suit, no mask — just grab a chair,
If you’re hurtin’, friend, we’ll say a prayer.
Might lose my banjo, might lose my hat,
But love don’t fade — imagine that.
This porch is yours — now how ‘bout that?

For the wanderin’ souls and lonesome strays,
For the folks who’ve seen some heavy days.
We don’t fix folks, we just let ‘em play,
Even if the strings snap clean away.
That’s porchlight grace — it don’t decay.

So if you’re driftin’, worn or gone,
Know this banjo (if I find it) plays on.
Don’t bother knockin’, just step inside —
We got peace you can’t out-hide.
Yeah… porchlight’s lit — now pass that slide.