A Christmas Poem
by Helen Steiner Rice
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 of 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.
