Antecipando o Natal IV

Youqing Wang, Christmas Ball Ornaments (2013)

-

A Christmas Poem

I have a list of folks 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 a part

Not of the book they are written in,

but really from my heart

For each name stands for someone

who has crossed my path sometime,

And in the meeting they've become

the rhythm in each rhyme

And while it sounds fantastic

for me to make this claim,

I really feel that I'm composed

of each remembered name

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 of a friendly face

So never think my Christmas cards

are just a mere routine

Of names upon a Christmas list,

forgotten in between,

For when I send a Christmas card

that is addressed to you,

It is because you're on the list

that I'm indebted to

For I am but a total

of the many folks 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 ways you have a part

in shaping things I do

And every year when Christmas comes,

I realize anew,

The best gifts life can offer

is meeting folks like you.

And may the spirit of Christmas

that forever endures

Leave its richest blessings

in the hearts of you and yours.

-

Helen Steiner Rice.