Dec. 25, 2019
Christmas
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The
stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
Another reminder that you won’t
be there.
The children are grown so they’re not in their beds
The office and guest room lay empty instead
While I’m in my kerchief you’re not
in your cap
My chore list’s too crazy for long winter’s naps
When up in my brain there arose such a clatter,
I tossed and I turned and I wondered what mattered
Away to the past my mind went like a flash,
Tore open the memories of our Christmases past
The
moon shining bright on your side of the bed
Your soft snoring gone; deadly silence
instead
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
Not a miniature sleigh or eight tiny reindeer,
But a newsreel of images vivid and quick
Like you, dressed as Santa, to play old St. Nick.
More
rapid than eagles the stories they came
I savored them each as I called them by
name
The first Christmas morning our son held a box
Acting thrilled with each gift whether toys or just socks
Small plastic pieces without good directions
Two am battles with bikes still in sections
First
babies, next toddlers, then boys with new bikes
On Christmas, on birthdays, you
knew what we liked
From a Christmas tree wired to the living room wall
So a brave little boy climbing high didn’t fall
To working two jobs to buy shin guards and cleats
Driving miles to support both his wins and defeats
Your eyes how they twinkled, your laughter so merry
Now
life here without you seems empty and scary
The beard on your chin that was sprinkled with snow
That waited till fifty before it would grow
In the blink of an eye you were gone like St.
Nick
But remembering you here does a magical trick
The love that we shared and the life that we lead
Will
remain safe and sound in my heart and my head
Though the pain and the joy are all mixed up together
Christmas memories with you can still last forever
I can just hear your voice as the tears cloud
my sight
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night”
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