I don’t send Christmas cards because I am neither a religious
nor ‘Christmassy’ person. I send poems to many people, but most prefer to have
a card they can put on the mantel so visitors can count and see how popular
they are. It came as no surprise to me, therefore, that when I stopped sending
cards. most people stopped sending one to me. After all, you can’t put a poem
on the mantel…
Some people tell me I should send Christmas cards
anyway (why bother with a poem?) if only to let those who matter to me know I am thinking of them or
keep in touch with those I have not seen or had much contact with for a long
time.
Not seen or had much contact with for a long time? Why not seen or
had much contact with for a long time…if they matter to us?
Too often I hear people say they have not contacted
someone because he or she has not been in touch with them.
Well, if they really matter to us, should we not try and
find out why…? A visit, telephone call, letter, email, skype…most of us have
the means to get in touch by at least one or other of these means. If we don’t,
something is seriously wrong that people to whom we supposedly matter and vice versa need to
know about and think through.
I recently met up with a friend who had just been choosing Christmas cards with great care so each person for whom a card was meant would know a lot of thought had gone onto choosing it. "You have to show you care, don't you?" said my friend adding, "I mean that's what Christmas is all about, isn't it, caring?" We had been reminiscing about one particular mutual friend I rarely see for various reasons but we often chat on the phone and with whom I knew full well did not hear from my caring companion from one Christmas card to the next...
Staying in touch with friends is so important; the occasional phone call or email just to let them know you are thinking of them can make all the difference, especially if that person is ill or having a bad day and close to free fall. Why wait for them to make the first move? Love - in all its various shapes and forms - works both ways, and keeping in touch should not be on the occasional whim or just for Christmas and birthdays...or one day it may be too late.
COUNTING THE CARDS or WHO’S MISSING…?
Festive bells spreading
good news across a sorry Earth,
wringing comfort and joy
from all those needing to believe
in a godly saviour’s birth;
Oh, but let's reason not the need,
they would have us all
be sure, but keep ourselves snug
by a feisty fire if only to feed heat
and light to despair
Winter solstice passed,
and now it’s the Christian’s turn
to answer questions
on flaws in natural laws exposed
by the origins of religion;
little or no harm done on days
when Apollo joins the fight
to save the heart’s weary cockles
from faltering, till cash for its meter
runs out at dead of night
Early hours, shivering
and demanding answers of a God
inclined to turn a deaf ear
on material demands like how best
to keep out the cold;
where certain spiritual sustenance
always on hand, available
in prayer, even arthritic souls
obliged to get out of bed, trust they
won’t catch pneumonia
Spending on a charity card
to loved one, friend and neighbour;
best wish them well
on the mantel (for everyone to see)
than save for the meter
in case we should meet in the street,
since they will be sure
find a way to say how mean spirited
folks can be in spreading festive cheer,
and point the finger
Where Xmas (or any) cards
a roll call for those who play a part
in our lives, big or small,
it should be those plainly missing
that strike mind-body-spirit
hardest of all, and to whom the ghosts
of human love turn to investigate
reasons behind any absences
before it's too late to even make a start
on affairs of the heart
Cause for concern about a special someone?
Go on, pick up the damn phone...
Copyright R. N. Taber 2011; 2014
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