Porch Light Round

One good thing before you go
Pass it left

Clock hit five; the boots hit gravel
Mary brought ribs; Joe hauled ice
Auntie brought the dominoes
And three unasked-for bits of advice
Kids drew roads in sidewalk chalk
Old dog slept beneath the rail
Mama tapped her spoon and said
Name one good thing from this week's trail

No speech, no score, no putting on
Say one true thing, then pass it on

One more porch light round beneath the glow
Porch light round
Pass ribs and cards; let one good thing show
Pass them left
Night shift soon—name one thing true to you
Pass it left around the porch light round

Eleven-twenty, headlights swung
Nina came in wearing scrubs
Mama kept her plate in foil
Joe dealt her into the domino run
Single dad from number nine
Finished homework by the stairs
Nobody asked why they were late
We made the circle meet them there

One more porch light round beneath the glow
Porch light round
Pass ribs and cards; let one good thing show
Pass them left
Night shift soon—name one thing true to you
Pass it left around the porch light round

Five years on, new screen door
Same two cracks in the second stair
Kids got tall; Joe's beard went silver
Nina brings new nurses there
Every Friday, somebody new
Starts out standing by the rail
By the time that spoon taps twice
They've got one good thing to tell

First round started in a blackout
July bill three months late
Neighbors ran an orange cord
From their garage through our gate
Mama lined the porch with lanterns
Said, Name one thing before we quit
We didn't have the power on
We had the whole block lit

One more porch light round beneath the glow
Porch light round
Pass ribs and cards; let one good thing show
Pass them left
Night shift calls—leave one thing true to you
Pass it left around the porch light round

We had the whole block lit
One good thing before you go
Porch light round
Pass it on