~ by Patrick W. Kavanagh

At Christmas time

it’s sad to be away

from so many of the people that I love.

No matter where I am,

I will be far from those

whom I hold closely in my heart,

And yet behind the wishful, wistful, thoughts

I know that I am happy,

for I am very lucky to have found

love in my life so many times.

I’ve always been a dreamer

and a wanderer,

lost inside the spinning wheels

of my own mind.

And often fate has touched my life,

unwanted and unbidden,

and my heart was broken

by the love I left behind.

But love is never truly lost,

for it is a greater force than space or time;

I never once forgot

the gift of family and friends

and those who joined their hearts to mine.

Thank you, everyone who shared

their precious time with me;

words cannot express the gift you gave

and how much your presence in my life

has meant to me.

I wish that I could be with all of you

this Christmas time,

but knowing I am loved is gift enough;

I need no presents underneath the tree.