Putting The Decorations Away

The festive season has passed,
and, although echoes
of the love,
the togetherness,
have fallen victim to time,
warm memories remain.

January shivers through my soul,
but sparks vivid cameos
of Christmases past,
and of the people
who once decorated
other trees,
unwrapped other presents,
and bestowed
heart-felt hugs
on my awestruck youth.

In the bleak mid-winter freeze,
the memory-box is unpacked,
and each of the contents examined
through the lens of love.
Relatives, both near and far,
living and dead,
are remembered fully,
in glorious colour,
with their wondrous idiosyncracies
in full and loving view.

The mind-rush continues,
through poignant thoughts
of growing children,
finding their way,
and sharing their laughter
and their light
as, inexorably,
they march towards
who they are today, fortified
by the sense of together.

The decorations have gone
for yet another year,
but the memories
of seasons shared
will never
be forgotten.