Leave The Lamp On

The small brass switch clicks under your thumb

A circle of yellow upon the wall

You do not have to fix a single thing

Just let the quiet fill up the hall

There is nothing required of you tonight

The warm bulb keeps its steady glow

Your hands can rest on the cotton sheet

And let the rest of the hours go

The shade casts a shadow across the rug

A little warmth in the cooling room

You carried enough through the busy street

Now soft shadows begin to bloom

There is nothing required of you tonight

The golden light stays right where it is

No answers needed before you sleep

No promises left to keep like this

The lamp will burn till you drift away

Nothing to do now but close your eyes

Soft golden light on the wooden floor

Goodnight my friend, goodnight

You slide the sleeves off your tired arms

The wool drops down on the wooden chair

The weight of the day slips to the floor

Leaving you light in the evening air

You can leave it right where it fell

The fabric folds up and rests alone

No heavy coat needed in the dark

Your breathing slows to a softer tone

The wool still holds a bit of the cold

From walking home through the windy street

It hangs there quiet against the wood

While you unroll the sheet at your feet

You can leave it right where it fell

The wool will wait till the morning sun

You did enough for a single day

The work of the evening is done

Just leave the jacket upon the chair

You do not need it to stay awake

Soft wool is sleeping along the wall

Rest now for your own sake

A plain glass rests on the bedside wood

The water settles without a sound

Small bubbles gather along the rim

As quiet circles turn around

You can take a sip and let it be

The cool clear water will keep you still

No need to think about yesterday

Or what is waiting across the sill

You set it down with a gentle hand

A ring of moisture upon the tray

It holds the light from the street below

In its own clear and simple way

You can take a sip and let it be

The glass sits cold in the dimming light

Nothing to finish before you dream

Just close your eyes for the night

A small sip sets your heart at ease

The glass is steady upon the stand

The room is soft and the air is slow

Rest your weary hand

A gentle creak in the hallway floor

The old house sighs as the air gets deep

It holds us up through the quiet hours

While all the neighbors are fast asleep

The house is holding you safe and sound

The wood settles down in the dark tonight

You do not need to protect the room

Just let yourself lean into the light

The beam beneath us has borne the years

It takes the weight without any noise

A slow grain sleeping under the rug

Far from the rush and the daily noise

The house is holding you safe and sound

It bends a little and finds its place

No further effort is asked of you

Just rest your head in this quiet space

Listen to the house drift off to sleep

The floorboards rest in their quiet frame

Nothing to carry and nowhere to go

Softly whisper your name

You pull the quilt up around your chin

The soft woven thread covers your chest

It holds the warmth of your quiet breathing

Inviting every part to rest

It will keep you warm until morning light

The heavy blanket lays over your skin

Shut out the worries behind the door

Let the long quiet night begin

The edge is frayed where your hands lie down

A familiar feel in the darkened room

It covers the steps that you took today

Safe in this warm and silent cocoon

It will keep you warm until morning light

The thick cloth rests on your weary knees

No wind can reach you inside this bed

Just lie here now and take your ease

Under the quilt you are safe and warm

The heavy cotton will hold you tight

Sleep now and leave all the thoughts behind

Rest through the silent night

You reach your arm to the window sill

And draw the vinyl shade down low

It blocks the glare of the traffic lights

And the headlights moving slow

The dark is gentle inside this room

The shade keeps out every restless street

You are tucked away from the outside world

Where soft quiet and shadow meet

A tiny stripe of the moon stays through

Along the edge where the frame meets wood

It does not ask you to look outside

Just lets you stay where you stood

The dark is gentle inside this room

The window hides all the busy town

Nothing out there needs your eyes tonight

Lay your tired head down

The shade is pulled and the world can wait

The glass is cold but the room is deep

Only soft shadows remain in here

Drift on off to sleep

The bolt turned home with a heavy click

The brass key rests on the narrow tray

The lock is set and the door is closed

To mark the end of another day

Nobody is coming to knock tonight

The key lies still in its tiny space

You made it back to your quiet home

Safe in your own small place

The cold metal shines in the hallway glow

It did its job through the morning rain

Now it can sit in the shadow here

Free from the street and the train

Nobody is coming to knock tonight

The heavy door keeps the world outside

All of your wandering hours are done

There is no need to hide

The key is resting upon the wood

The lock is turned and the night is still

Sleep now in safety behind the door

Let peace your bedroom fill

The glass screen dims to a quiet dark

You place it face down beside the clock

No distant voices can call you now

No ticking steps on the block

You can let the screen rest black and still

No urgent words need an answer now

The news can wait for another sun

Smooth the lines from your brow

It leaves a shadow upon the wood

A little rectangle cold and clean

You gave it all of your eyes today

Now close the dark curtain scene

You can let the screen rest black and still

The messages fade into the air

Nothing is broken if you log off

Leaving it sitting there

Set it down and forget the world

The black glass sits on the nightstand wood

Nothing inside it is urgent now

Rest where you know it is good

Your folded shirt sits upon the seat

A neat little square in the corner shade

It carried the dust of the afternoon

And the small mistakes you made

It is sleeping too on the wooden chair

The cotton fabric is soft and spent

You do not need to refold the seams

Be happy with how it went

The arms of the chair hold it close and still

Like an old friend keeping a quiet guard

It took the rain and the summer heat

When the pavement felt so hard

It is sleeping too on the wooden chair

The daylight fades from the cloth at last

Put down the worry you carried around

Let the long daylight pass

The chair holds tight to your gentle clothes

They rest together without a word

Nothing more needed from you tonight

Only soft breathing heard

The iron pipe gives a low soft clink

A gentle warmth spreading near the floor

It fills the corner beside your bed

Behind the bedroom door

The steady heat keeps the chill away

You can sink right down in the soft white sheet

The radiator hums its quiet song

Making the dark room sweet

It warms the air where your ankles lie

A gentle breath from the basement iron

It works so quietly through the night

No heavy strength to hire

The steady heat keeps the chill away

The warmth moves slowly across the space

You are protected from winter cold

Here in your resting place

Listen close to the radiator hum

The iron pipe holds a gentle heat

Close your tired eyes and drift away

Sleep soft and sleep sweet

You loosen the knot on your canvas shoe

And step right out on the entry mat

They sit side by side by the coat rack post

Right where the umbrella sat

Your feet are free from the road tonight

The shoes stay still by the wooden floor

You walked as far as you had to go

You do not walk any more

The leather is worn at the heavy heel

From miles of concrete and gravel lane

They rest together in shadows now

Out of the wind and rain

Your feet are free from the road tonight

The laces loosen and fall asleep

No further steps are required of you

Into the quiet creep

The shoes are waiting until the dawn

Their journey ends on the woven mat

Rest your tired legs on the cotton bed

Where soft peace is at

The ceramic mug sits upon the tile

A little chamomile cool and still

You drank as much as you wished to drink

Upon the window sill

It is fine to leave what you did not finish

The handle cools in the evening air

You do not have to consume it all

Or carry a single care

The white clay holds a slight rim of tea

A calm brown ring on the inner side

It served its purpose to soothe your mind

While the big world was wide

It is fine to leave what you did not finish

The mug sits quiet beside your book

Nothing is wasted or left undone

Give it a gentle look

Leave the small cup upon the tray

It rests as quiet as anything

Nothing to complete before you sleep

Hear the soft silence sing

Your cheek presses down on the linen pillow

Soft feathers give under your weight

It shapes itself to your resting face

Though the hour is late

The pillow holds your heavy head

It sinks right down in a quiet nest

Let all the thoughts of the evening fall

Give your poor mind a rest

The cotton cover is cool and smooth

Against the heat of your tired skin

It absorbs the sigh that you give the dark

As the deep dreams begin

The pillow holds your heavy head

Its soft cushioning knows your shape

No need to think about tomorrow now

Let your sweet soul escape

Press your warm face into the pillow

Feel the soft feathers yield and fall

Nothing is left to do tonight

Nothing at all

The streetlight shines through the wooden blinds

Slanted lines on the painted drywall

They move so slowly you barely see

Across the bedroom hall

The quiet shadows are painting peace

They move like water across the room

You do not need to illuminate

The gentle midnight gloom

A branch sways slow in the wind outside

Making leaf shapes on the ceiling tile

A silent dance for your closing eyes

To watch for a little while

The quiet shadows are painting peace

They drift and stretch in a sleepy gray

No brighter light is needed now

Put the long day away

Watch the dark shapes softly sway

They guard the room while you drift off

Lines of silver on the bedroom wall

Gentle and soft

The paper bookmark is set in place

You close the cover with quiet care

The story stops on a page unread

In the dim bedroom air

You can close the book and set it down

The words will keep in the paper folds

You do not need to know how it ends

Or what the chapter holds

The black ink rests on the cream white page

A hundred tales in a sleeping stack

It sits so still on the bedside table

Without looking back

You can close the book and set it down

The paper slumbers beneath your light

Leave the unfinished thoughts behind

Turn off the lamp tonight

The story rests inside the spine

You read enough for a single day

Close your tired eyes and sleep right now

Let it drift away

The bedroom door stands an inch ajar

A sliver of light from the hall below

The house is silent from room to room

Breathing soft and slow

Everything is quiet now

The hallway sleeps in the amber glow

Nothing is moving along the floor

Where the soft shadows grow

The air is still in the open space

No voices echo against the wall

The long hours rest in their place tonight

In the dark upper hall

Everything is quiet now

The night is peaceful and calm and deep

You are safe inside your bed

Time for you to sleep

The hall is still and the door is set

Soft air floating across the room

Sleep now sleep now my gentle friend

In the quiet bloom