Christmas Crossroads

So close to Christmas and so far away
From everyone from everything tonight
I fear both life and death and so I stay
If tentatively with the door in sight
In the midst of it all decking the hall
With forty feet of garlands my daughter
Gave me when she surprised me and brought her
Encouragement her strings of sparkling light

I must gather myself arrange my face
At least buy gift certificates somehow
Some way or other get through this with grace
If I can then it will be over now
Before I know it I must not show it
Not this darkness not this terror I feel
Not this shadow which lurks within these walls
I have something tangible to embrace

The love of my children honest and real

In the light of their love the shadow falls
Because of how they look at me that way
It dries the dark to nothing in a smile
A tender hug which makes me want to say
I might just have to stick around awhile
To see how things turn out in a new year
Which could only be better than this one
There are those who love me who want me here

The shadow falls: my Christmas has begun

+Steven Curtis Lance



Merry Christmas

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