After so many years 

Of silent nights

Chestnuts roasting 

And fires alight

You’re still here

Within the glow

Of dancing flames

And falling snow

I sense your presence

Around my tree

And remember 

All the things

That you gave to me 

Our beautiful children

An abundance of love 

Your forever gifts 

That will always give

They paint the season

With colors so bright

Hues of red, greens 

And the softest of white

Brighter than any 

Twinkling lights 

And more precious

Than silver and gold

Are the memories 

That I invariably hold

Although Christmas 

Will never be the same 

With warm thoughts of you

We celebrate

Your love transcends 

It never fades

In colors so vibrant 

And ever alive

Empty boots 

Stand at attention

Quietly beside the door

They appear to be waiting

For orders

To march back into war

So many times they’ve carried

Their brave soldier home

From bloody battles

Fiercely fought

Across the entire globe

Their mission always

To defend freedom 

At home 

And on foreign land

These boots now

Remain at rest

In silence, 

They still stand

As a legacy

To the sacrifice 

That their courageous soldier 

Selflessly earned

They wait, unaware

That they’ve taken

Their final step

They wait, unknowing

That their soldier

Drew his final breath

Cowering under covers

Unable to breathe

Awakened by a fear 

That refuses to leave

Invading my dreams

It’s always the same 

In a deafening silence

I hear my own cries

Piercing the darkness

Again on this night

A sword to my heart

As memories ignite

A life taken

A lifetime in vain

There’s no escape 

From yesterday

As the sun slowly rises 

Taming shadows to fade 

Tears fall

To wash away the pain

It’s gone for now

Veiled by day

Awaiting darkness

Where light doesn’t stray

I’d give anything now 

For the phone to ring 

To hear your voice 

Quietly whispering

Asking me 

How my day has been 

And reminding me 

That soon  

We’d be together again

We’d spend hours talking

Until our “goodnight”

I’d hold the phone

So close and tight

I’d have laughed 

To hear someone say 

That these simple moments

Would be some 

Of my best days

I never knew then

How quickly 

Life could change

That you’d be gone  

In only one day

Our forever plans

Are forever changed 

Lost in dreams of yesterday

I’m trying to be strong 

As you’d want me to be

But tears find their way

Into my best memories

I thought you knew

That it was all in jest

As I joked for fun 

And had a laugh

You never once complained

Or shed a tear 

You hid your pain 

As I concealed my fear

We’re quite a pair

You and I

Misunderstood, confused

Afraid to try

To speak our truth

Find the answers to why

Perhaps with time 

We’ll learn to change

To shed the masks

We wear so well 

And find the courage

Hopefully, with age

Until then

Take my hand 

Let’s leap together

Into this unknown land

I’ll break your fall

You’ll take a stand

Together we’ll learn 

Together we can

Pure white linen

Trimmed with lace

An heirloom borrowed

From an earlier day

A baby’s breath

Its soft caress

Felt gently upon our face

Red petals falling silently

Their edges, worn and dry

Gather together 

Slowly marking time 

A morning’s promise 

A cerulean sky

For a day 

Bathed in heavenly light 

Whose golden rays flicker 

Between bare branches 

Before the cold 

Of winter’s night

Each dawn brings change

As colors fade

And streaks of gray

Transform our lives