Christmas is a special time of year
A time filled with festivities and cheer
All the wrapped presents under the tree
Topped with a golden star for all to see
But those gifts don't at all compare
To the people that put them there

Some memories are sticky
Clinging to nerve endings
Disallowing their otherwise
Normal functioning

Wind erodes rocks over time
Words fill voids over rhyme

My jersey is worn
My pants are torn
My pads are busted
My joints are rusted
My shoes are old
My gloves were sold
My gear is out of date
My helmets not so great
I may not be the norm
But I still wear my uniform

You could watch the car come to a stop
But not his heart
You could watch the leaves fall slowly
But not her head
You could watch, but could you see?

When old age shall come to shake my hand
I'll greet it kindly and with a smile
When no longer my legs move to stand
It is then, I will know, it was worth the while
Of all the hurt and I joy I found
I'll share my story with those who wish to hear
Family and friends will gather around
And nudge and bump and draw ever near
I'll tell the same story every time they come
The story of my life, the story of what I'd done
And I know that, in the eyes of some
I'll see myself again, and know that I have won

Far off a coast, unknown to me
Beyond the line of sky and sight
Comes a foul and perfect storm
Hidden in the cover of the night
It has no face, it makes no noise
A dark, deep and dreadful thing
Not forgiving what it destroys
Bringing a special type of sting
But from the rubble of the past
Springs the birth of things anew
Some don't think that they'll last
But that storm hasn't yet met you