The Porch Light

Lyrics

[Verse 1: He] The Silver Spray keeps shouldering the gray Past the last known buoy, where the charts grow thin I haul the pots before the morning breaks And count the days by the tide coming in [Verse 2: She] Your wool coat waits beside the kitchen door Salt still caught in the seams from last year I set two cups out, then put one away And tell the empty chair you’re near [Chorus: Together] Hold on, my love, across this turning sea You’re the warm room waiting, you’re the shore for me I’m working for the life we planned to share And every mile away, I feel you there Soon I’ll leave this far edge of the world behind Soon your hand will find my hand in time [Verse 3: He] The deck rolls hard beneath a moonless sky The crew speaks little; the cold gets in I picture you asleep beneath our quilt And hear your laugh above the wind [Verse 4: She] I watch the weather crawl across the bay And keep your latest letter by the stove You say the catch was good, the flight is booked I read that line again, and hope [Chorus: Together] Hold on, my love, across this turning sea You’re the warm room waiting, you’re the shore for me I’m working for the life we planned to share And every mile away, I feel you there Soon I’ll leave this far edge of the world behind Soon your hand will find my hand in time [Bridge: Together] When the Silver Spray ties up for the last time When the engine’s quiet and the bags are packed I’ll take the first plane home through the morning And you’ll be there to welcome me back [Final Chorus: Together] Hold on, my love, the sea can’t keep us long You’ve been my home through every night so long The work is done; I’m turning toward your light I’ll fly back home and hold you close tonight Soon the far edge of the world will fall behind Soon your hand will rest again in mine [Outro: She, then He] I left the porch light on for you I’m coming home to you