Gathering Christmas Memories

Gathering Christmas Memories

I gather the nights

we once shared,

when laughter filled

every quiet room.

I gather the warmth

of old days,

the way we spoke

around the tree.

I gather the faces

I miss now,

their smiles bright

as winter lights.

I gather the moments

we lost too soon,

the things we planned,

the things we never did.

I gather the stories

you told me,

echoes still held

deep in my chest.

I gather the songs

we once sang,

your voices drifting

through frozen air.

I gather the shadows

of Christmas Eve,

the empty chairs,

the ache they leave.

I gather the love

you left behind,

strong as ever,

refusing to fade.

I gather the memories

I can’t replace,

the way you lived,

the way you loved.

I gather each tear

that Christmas brings,

holding it close,

calling it yours.

I gather myself

in the quiet hush,

feeling you near

though you are gone.