To Absent Ones At Christmas.
Courtesy of Thurles Author & Poet Tom Ryan ©
We shall not in drawing up to the red-coaled fire,
In a profusion of spirits, in the hollied room
Your presence dishonour with forgetfulness,
But rather shall we in music and wine
And in the memory of another place and happy time,
Toast you, our absent ones.
Nor, as the Carols reach to the Christmas stars
In praise of the glorious grandeur of the world,
Nor, as childrens’ voices herald a new awakening,
Shall we forget the warmth,
Of a time of togetherness,
But in a quiet prayer, pure as snow crystals
Give thanks for what you were to our hearts,
For what you’ll ever be
Unto the last Yuletide.
So, in a good spirit,
Glad for the plenty and the peace,
Joyous for our family and our friends.
With all the people of the earth
And in our merriment and mirth
We do remember you, our dear and absent ones.
END.
Tom Ryan, “Iona”, Rahealty, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Nice one Tom.