After They Left

After They Left
After They Left

Borrowed jacket, community hall
Coffee urn beside the stage
You look good in every picture
But that's not the thing that stays
After music, after speeches
After everybody leaves
You stack chairs with sleeves rolled up
Like love is something done, not seen

The room got ordinary
And you got more beautiful

After they left, you stacked the chairs
After they left, still standing there
I knew it was real when you helped after everybody left
After they left, I saw the best

We sweep confetti from the corners
Carry leftovers to the car
You make a plate for the old man
Who came alone and lives too far
No camera catches any of it
No applause, no grand display
I keep learning extraordinary
Can look like helping when the crowd is gone

I used to wait for big emotion
Something bright enough to prove
I knew it was real when you helped after everybody left
That borrowed jacket held the truth

After they left, borrowed jacket on
After they left, hall lights almost gone
I knew it was real when you helped after everybody left
After they left, I took you home

After They Left