Old Lantern's Glow

Dented brass and a coat of rust

Waiting patient beneath the dust

I found you hanging on a rusty nail

A silent hero of a forgotten trail

I click the latch and I trim the wick

As the shadows around me grow heavy and thick

With a strike of a match, you come alive

Helping the hope in my heart to survive

Oh, old lantern, with your golden glow

You remember the paths that I used to know

A small sun held in the palm of my hand

Lighting my way through the dark of the land

You don't shine bright like the stars or the moon

But you’re the rhythm and you’re the tune

Of a warm, safe home in the middle of the night

My steady, faithful, flickering light

How many stories are locked in your glass

Watching the seasons and the decades pass

Did you light the way for my father’s feet

Through the mountain snow and the summer heat

Every scratch on your side is a mile we’ve gone

A promise of rest before the dawn

You’ve seen my tears and you’ve seen my grace

Reflecting the lines on my tired face

Oh, old lantern, with your golden glow

You remember the paths that I used to know

A small sun held in the palm of my hand

Lighting my way through the dark of the land

You don't shine bright like the stars or the moon

But you’re the rhythm and you’re the tune

Of a warm, safe home in the middle of the night

My steady, faithful, flickering light

The batteries die and the wires will fray

But your gentle flame will find a way

To cut through the fog and the deepest gloom

Turning a forest into a room

You aren’t just oil, you aren’t just tin

You’re the warmth of the spirit that lives within

Thank you for staying

Through the long night

Sleep now, my friend