Mending the Gate

Lyrics

The latch has come loose on the garden gate
It's swung on one hinge for a year
I said I would fix it some Sunday soon
And now Sunday's finally here
I've got a small hammer, a handful of screws
A tin of old paint, faded green
And a boy at my elbow with questions to ask
Who's holding the things in between

Hold it steady, hold it true
There's no hurry, we'll see it through
A gate is only a promise kept
Swinging open for those who've stepped
Up the path and through the door
Mending things we've mended before
Hold it steady, hold it true
I'll teach you, and you'll teach me too

He tells me that gates are for keeping things in
And I tell him gates are for friends
That a latch is a kind of a welcome
That a good hinge is how kindness bends
We tighten the bolt and we level the post
And the sun slips low on the wall
He's got paint on his nose and a grin on his face
And that is the best part of all

Hold it steady, hold it true
There's no hurry, we'll see it through
A gate is only a promise kept
Swinging open for those who've stepped
Up the path and through the door
Mending things we've mended before
Hold it steady, hold it true
I'll teach you, and you'll teach me too

Someday the paint will be peeling again
Someday he'll fix it alone
And he'll think of a Sunday, a hammer, a hand
And he'll feel like he's well and at home

Now the gate swings easy and closes with a click
And the evening is soft on the lane
We stand there and watch it, a small thing made right
Then we go in out of the rain

Hold it steady, hold it true
There's no hurry, we'll see it through
A gate is only a promise kept
Swinging open for those who've stepped
Up the path and through the door
Mending things we've mended before
Hold it steady, hold it true
I'll teach you, and you'll teach me too

Hold it steady
Hold it true