Sometimes, the place where everyone knows your name has an old door that’s in need of fixing.
Squeaking And Slamming Screened Doors
You walked in
And everybody knew —
That squeak of the hinge
They would oil some day.
That slap of wood on wood
As the door gave itself a high-five
And everyone turned and knew
You
Because this was the place
You all gathered
Part grocery store
Part lunchtime deli
Part just sit and gossip
While the air buzzed
With chatter and laughter
And that sandwich was made-to-order
And you just felt like
You belonged
And now, today,
The highway has passed that old town
But sometimes, still,
You just pull over
On a forgotten patch of road
And you can still hear them
Those old doors
Squeaking and slamming
As you
Smile.
Produced by Laura Rice.