We Make a Town

[Verse 1] At six i turn the brass key in the gallery door, My pension says i’m finished; i’ve found another floor. I pin the names beside the frames, straighten one small card, Then hear the first arrivals cross the polished yard. A painter from the harbor brings her brother by the hand; A kid explains a blue-green shape like only kids can stand. I used to count the weekdays till the years went slipping past; Now every opening feels like something built to last. [Pre-Chorus] Someone says, “i don’t know much about art.” I say, “that’s fine. just tell me where you start.” [Chorus] Come on in, there’s room to see, A little of your world in what another’s made. One bright line can turn a stranger into company; One brave color gives a quiet thought a place to stay. Come on in, the night is wide, We make a town by standing side by side. [Verse 2] A nurse comes straight from her shift, still wearing her blue badge; Two builders trade opinions by a canvas full of orange. The student who made paper birds keeps circling the room, While her grandfather tells a story no one knew. I greet them all by name now, though the crowd has grown too thick; A sculptor laughs, “you’re better at this than you were at six.” I say, “i’ve had some practice letting people find their say,” And watch a dozen separate lives share one small space. [Pre-Chorus] Someone says, “i don’t know what i see.” I say, “then tell me what it does to you and me.” [Chorus] Come on in, there’s room to see, A little of your world in what another’s made. One bright line can turn a stranger into company; One brave color gives a quiet thought a place to stay. Come on in, the night is wide, We make a town by standing side by side. [Bridge] The council talks in numbers; the canvases answer back: A child draws a blue heron on the back of her program. A man who hasn’t spoken much leans close and says, “My mother painted birds like that before she passed away.” No speech, no grand solution, just a place to pause awhile; Then somebody offers him a seat, and he answers with a smile. [Final chorus] Come on in, there’s room to see, A little of your world in what another’s made. One bright line can turn a stranger into company; One brave color gives a quiet thought a place to stay. Come on in, let every voice arrive, We make a town by helping other worlds come alive. Come on in, the night is wide, We make a town by standing side by side. [Outro] At closing, i turn the brass key once more; Tomorrow, someone new will find the door.