I Kept the Light On

The house got quiet after you went. Your boots still dusted by the door. I don't ask heaven where you are. I just sweep the floor. Your room stayed the way you left it. I never moved a thing. Even time learned to walk soft When it heard me breathe. I kept the light on through the night. Not because I knew you'd come. But fathers don't turn love off Just because the road gets long. If you ever lose your way Or forget where you belong, You'll see it burning from a distance. I kept the light on. Your mother prayed harder than me. She said, "God counts every tear." Now her chair stays empty, But her faith is still right here. Some nights my hands shake holding scripture. Some nights I just sit still. Waiting ain't weakness, son. It's an act of will. I kept the light on through the dark When hope felt almost gone. I learned silence has a language That only love speaks On. If the world breaks your heart Like it broke mine Once, You'll know this house remembers you. I kept the light on. I don't need apologies. I don't need reasons why. The door don't ask questions. It just opens wide. I kept the light on every year Through the winters and the falls. If you come back a different man, I'll still know who you are. And if God calls me home before, I'll hear you say my name. Tell Him I waited faithful, And I kept the light On. The night don't scare me Anymore. I've done my part. There's a lamp in the Window And peace in my Heart.