Another Christmas
I’ve made it through another year
My third Christmas without you here
I’m used to being without you now
I’ve made a brand new life somehow
I hate that you aren’t here with me
That you are just a memory
The years keep moving by so fast
My time with you fades to the past
Each holiday comes at a cost
Reminding me of all I’ve lost
We celebrate without you here
I try so hard to feel you near
But as the years keep moving on
It seems that you’ve been gone so long
So much has happened in my life
Since all those years I was your wife
The days so quickly come and go
That years fly by before you know
And nothing is the same today
It’s all changed since you went away
But though my life has changed so much
I miss your voice, your love, your touch
Those things you used to say and do
Those times we spent, just me and you
So sometimes I just need a day
To leave the crowd and slip away
And close my eyes, relive that time
When I was yours and you were mine
I’ll spend a little time with you
And tell you all that I’ve been through
And though I know it’s just pretend
I’ll listen for your voice again
I need some time, not very long
Then I’ll be able to move on
I need a little while to cry
But won’t let Christmas pass me by
I’ll put the memories away
And come back to the present day
I’ll rejoin life the best I can
I’ll dance and laugh and live again
But as I celebrate this day
Alone on one more holiday
And gaze upon our Christmas tree
Deep in my mind, you’re here with me
About Katherine Billings-Palmer
Katherine Billings Palmer is a retired technical writer and author who lost her husband to lung cancer shortly after celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary. She began writing through her grief in an online journal of feelings, thoughts, memories, and poetry on her personal blog: The Writing Widow.
Katherine published a series called “A Widow’s Words,” three books composed of essays and poetry about her struggles to cope with and work through her grief. She also published a small book of poetry, I Wanted to Grow Old With You; a humorous book of anecdotes from her grandsons, I Didn't See That Coming; and her most recent book, A Grieving Heart: Poems of Love, Loss, and Healing for Widows and Widowers, which includes more than 60 poems about coping with grief.
All books are available in print and ebook through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.
Katherine’s biography and blog can be found at her website: The Writing Woman. She also posts her poetry and prose on Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky, and Substack @thewritingwoman.
Websites: thewritingwoman.com and thewritingwidow.com
Amazon: katherine-palmer
Instagram: @thewritingwidow and @thewritingwomandotcom
LinkedIn: katherinegpalmer
TikTok: @thewritingwoman
Substack: @thewritingwoman
Bluesky: @thewritingwoman.bsky.social
Pinterest: TheWritingWidow