Sad Christmas

There's a coat still hanging by the door
Blue with yellow stitching at the sleeves
Too small now for anyone to wear
But I can't bring myself to take it down

The table stretches longer every year
Empty chairs where loved ones used to be

This is what December brings
Every memory cuts like broken glass
The house holds pain I cannot bear to face
And Christmas day just echoes with the loss

Your favorite china gathers dust now
I can't serve dinner like we used to do
Well-meaning friends leave food outside
Their kindness just reminds me you're not here

This is what December brings
Every memory cuts like broken glass
The house holds pain I cannot bear to face
And Christmas day just echoes with the loss

Each ornament weighs heavy in my hands
As I debate if this year's finally time
To pack away traditions that we shared
But muscle memory wins again tonight

This is what December brings
Silent rooms that scream of what I've lost
That coat stays frozen in its place
While I count empty chairs and close my eyes

The snow falls just like then
I stand alone and watch it
That blue coat haunts my peripheral view