She watched the twinkling Christmas tree from her old rocking chair, Remembering the times before when both of them were there.
For years, after the kids had grown and they had moved away,
Alone they shared their Christmas Eves until his dying day.

They both had lived a long full life and enjoyed every minute,
With all their friends and family and the love they shared within it.
Every Christmas Eve for years they settled by the tree,
And he would smile and say to her, "well babe it's you and me."

"It is the way that we began way back when we first started,
And now again it's you and me since all the kids have parted.
But, babe he'd say it is so sweet, to just have you and me,
Just sitting here so warm and cozy looking at our tree."

He would always play the Christmas music soft and low,
And have the fireplace burning brightly giving off it's glow.
He would make them both hot toddies and keep both cups full,
And he would smile and say to her, "this is so wonderful."

They would sit and talk for hours there on Christmas Eve,
Until it was past their bedtime, but they wouldn't leave.
They never wanted it to end this merry Christmas bliss,
And he would say throughout the night, "it don't get better than this."

The kids would all converge on them and visit Christmas morn,
And he would always say, "this night's the calm before the storm."
She would smile because he said the same thing every year,
But she knew that he could not wait until the kids were there.

But this year as she sits alone and gazes at the lights,
They knew someday that one would be alone on Christmas nights.
They both had made a promise and now it was hers to keep,
When that time did finally come they would not sit and weep.

Instead of sitting all alone and feeling lost and sad,
They would sit and reminisce of all the time they had.
They would think of happy times and all the years gone by,
The memories of the love and joy and have a happy cry.

She knew someday they would enjoy each other once again,
And Christmas Eve would once again be just as it had been.
She smiled when thinking of a Christmas in a heavenly body,
And laughed out loud when wondering if there would still be toddy.

But, also sitting there alone she thinks of what he said,
"Remember babe our love won't stop if one of us is dead.
Someday we'll share this time again forever with no doubt.
After all . . . isn't that what Christmas is about?"

James Kisner
poppyspals-owner@yahoogroups.com