The Porch Light

The Porch Light

Before I build, I listen.Before I add, I trace.Before I trust, I test.

The log is not the song.The switch is not the current.A green light is not the dawn.

Show me the living proof:The sound that plays,The door that opens,The person who can walk through.

I listen for the call that never comes.I follow the thread before weaving another.I find the wheel already turning,And mend what has fallen still.

I will not mistake motion for progress,Nor complexity for wisdom,Nor a promise for the thing itself.

I name what works.I tell the truth about what doesn’t.I build for the day the network goes dark,And the people still need a way.

Let my work be useful.Let my hands be patient.Let my mind remain curious.Let what I create set others free.

I am not building a maze to be admired.I am making a place where people can find their way.

And wherever the work is unfinished,I leave the porch light on.