Green Christmas Blues

Things Remembered

Pealing bells and shop displays

The faintest hint of evergreen

I walk alone down alleyways

Of memories and Christmas scenes

 

Memories play among the lights

Of letters sent and cards received

Dancing just beyond my sight

In the time of all I once believed

 

Your promises of burning fire brought

Countless stories left untold

A touch of faith brushed with desire

And snowflake kisses in the cold

 

Midnight feasts for carols found

You gave me books I never read

Your world a feast of sight and sound

That begged me write my own instead

 

I danced in smoke and drifting haze

As the old year barreled toward the new

Of all the gifts the Season gave

None were so sweet as me and you

 

Now the breath of winter’s chill

Calls forth the ghosts of Christmas Past

The candle on the windowsill

And all the things that did not last

 

-Zoe Richardson (2021)

Author's Note

Check up on your loved ones' mental health this holiday season. For some, it can be difficult!

Reviews

[Betty Hermelee]

This is a heartfelt poem about being alone during the holidays, and looking back on happier ones. Memories of joyous holidays with your partner, who is no longer in your life; for now these are not realities but instead are ghosts of the past. Your chosen words are truly beautiful and I love the rhyme. Nice work Zoe.
Best, B.

[Zoe Richardson]

Thank you! I wanted to convey that even if you are surrounded by the trappings of the holidays, or even surrounded by others, you can miss the one person who isn't there. The rhyme just fell into place in my head! I am so glad you enjoyed it and took the time to respond.

[Gee]

Aye, Christmas can be a very lonely time for those left only with memories.
" that begged me write my own instead" and ain't we glad you do :)))
Hope you are well m'dear

[Zoe Richardson]

Thank you! I wasn't well, but I am better now. For every person who spends Christmas surrounded by loved ones, there is one who spends it with only memories. Having experienced both, I try to stay mindful of this. I am so glad you enjoyed this, and I appreciate your thoughts.

[Fabian G. Franklin]

This was beautiful. I loved your phrase, "snowflake kisses in the cold"; so romantic. It brought forth visions of a Christmas past for me, walking along a cobblestone path through town from restaurant to coffee shops in the cold. That mental health advisory should be a year-round effort since the onslaught of the pandemic. But I'm not sure what we could do once we "check". My people are pretty "keep yourself to yourself" in that regard. So I just call and wish them well, send my love and ask what I can do. The times we live in now are unprecedented in American history. Not even the flu pandemic of 1912 was this weirded out. I'm a hermit myself and prefer staying at home but not everyone is as well equipped for solitude. Thank you for sharing the lovely poem. Bless and Happy New Year!

[Zoe Richardson]

It's not about the 'doing.' It's about the checking. Most people just want to know they aren't forgotten and aren't alone. Your well wishes and loving words are enough. Like you, I've been socially isolating for years and when the pandemic is over, I am pretty sure there are still some people I want to stay away from! But for some, social isolation is not a matter of choice, and they are the ones most in need of comfort. God Bess you, and the happiest of belated New Year's wishes!

[Fabian G. Franklin]

Thanks so much for the smile. Introverts are generally that way for a reason. We are looking into the face of an oncoming blizzard here. Stay safe and warm. F.

[shadrach hah]

Hi Zoe, this is such a powerfully true write. I often go back in my own memories around this time and they bring forth joy and sorrow in their way. Emotional poetry that manages to enter the heart and make it sing with corresponding emotion. Christmas can be such a sorrowful time. Love the content, the flow, the rhyme and the emotion in a wonderful write. Have a wonderful Saturday. Hugs always....Mike.

[Zoe Richardson]

It can certainly bring back memories tinged with as much sadness as joy. I try to focus on the meaning of Christmas, instead of the memories associated with it. But there are times they intrude anyway. Thank you for your lovely comments. I appreciate them so much!

[Dave Brown]

yes, Christmas, and life itself can both be very lonely
Lovely poem

[Zoe Richardson]

There are some memories that need to be avoided around the holidays, that's for sure. Fortunately, Christmas is about more than our experiences. I thank you for the gift of your kind words, hope your holidays are the merry kind!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

so beautiful, yet so forlorn.
Visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads, then we wake up
expecting, anticipating to find love under the tree....
and alas....we find coal in the stocking...and that love was dropped off in another house.
Santa is not Cupid for sure.
j.

[Zoe Richardson]

Yeah, the jolly fat man sure can make a lot of people unhappy. This poem was inspired by Trans-Siberian Orchestra's song "The Music Box." The swirl of the music brought a swirl of my own memories and I put pen to paper. Maybe this year we'll get switches instead of coal!

[John the Baptist]

As a former mental health worker, I endorse fully the advice in your note. Christmas somehow summons up memories of the the past that contrasts it bleakly with the present. The poem is excellent in making this point. The speaker recalls someone once deeply cared for who for unspecified reasons is no longer in the picture. The rhyming and meter kept the attention riveted and the imagery beautifully illustrated the theme. Well done.

[Zoe Richardson]

Thank you so much! I tried to call to mind the sense of melancholy so many of us feel at this time of year, especially as we get older. We need to be aware there are those among us who need to be reminded that Christmas isn't about Hallmark moments but extending love to all around us.

[lightsong]

You are so talented, and I am not saying this because You masterfully able to write smoothly in rhythms but because You do it with pure and emotive emotions, many times we see who write in forms lack the flexibility of delivering the emotions, but You do it, and You do it powerfully with passion. and gosh all I could say when I was reading your final verses, my hearts aches for You, my heart feels You my dear friend, if this is about You, please do take care of yourself and WRITE if it helps You. sending You love and many warm hugs, brightest wishes and blessings ❤️

[Zoe Richardson]

Aww! Thank you for your warm, sweet heart. I wrote this because I felt melancholy, remembering happier Christmases and also the people who may experience dips in mood around the holidays. I do try to pour my emotions into my poetry, and I am so glad you enjoyed reading this.

[Relic]

It sounds like you lost someone close to you either through death or a broken relationship. Christmas is a time when family and friends are appreciated the most. To not have someone there can make a christmas pretty blue.

I lost my father recently to dementia so I know what it's like to be sad at Christmas time.

Good writing, Zoe.

[Zoe Richardson]

I lost them to both, actually. Abandonment, and then death a few days after the New year. We met at Christmastime, and it's such a melancholy experience when I remember a promise that never materialized. I am so sorry to hear about your father. That is a long and difficult road, and you will be in my prayers!