A Christmas Poem

(Image from Jill Homer's blog "Up In Alaska")

MY CHRISTMAS POEM

I have a list of friends I know, all written in a book
And every year, when Christmas comes, I go and take a look;
And that is when I realize that these names are part,
Not of the book they’re written in, but of my very heart.
For each name stands for someone who has crossed my path sometime,
And, in that meeting, they’ve become the rhythm in each rhyme
And while you may not be aware of any “special link”
Just meeting you has changed my life a lot more than you think.
For, once I’ve met somebody, the years cannot erase
The memory of a pleasant word or a friendly face.
So never think of my Christmas greeting as just a mere routine
Of names upon a Christmas list, forgotten in between.
For when I send a Christmas greeting that is addressed to you
It’s because you are on the list of friends whom I’m indebted to
For I am but the total of the many friends I’ve met
And you happen to be one of those I prefer not to forget.
And whether I have known you for many years or few,
In some way you have had a part in shaping things I do;
And every year, when Christmas comes, I realize anew,
The best gift life can offer is meeting friends like you!
May the spirit of Christmas, that forever endures,
Leave its richest blessings in the hearts of you and yours.

Author is a friend of retired FBI Agent Ron Grove, Sioux City, IA (57-94)