Christmas, I thought, would always be
the best of holidays for me…
a celebration of Christ’s birth,
when peace and glory came to earth.
This miracle, so long held dear,
blessed and remembered every year,
engenders in each tender heart
sweet reverence for His humble start.
image by Clint Patterson on UnsplashChristmas shopping has begun,
but now I shop for three,
another sad reminder of
the way things used to be.
A new year for an altered life––
I guess it does seem fitting.
2018 hit us hard,
its sorrows unremitting.
Your room still holds the scent of you;
sometimes, I venture in.
One step across the threshold, and
the memories begin.
I know that you are busy now
with things to learn and do and see;
but when you find some extra time,
might you draw close and bide with me?
I took you in my arms the day you came into this world.
Around your head, it almost seemed that bits of heaven swirled.
I nurtured you and cared for you and read you “Goodnight, Moon.”
But then your life came calling. You slipped away too soon.
We’re flying down the highway
on a bright, sunshiny day.
The skies are blue, the clouds colored
in white and violet-gray.
Today we bid the house farewell,
last of the last goodbyes.
Bare walls looked down on emptied shelves
as tears welled in our eyes.