Burning embers in the hearth
Like the lifeblood of a beating heart
The core of a stone-brick house
A scarlet glow that radiates, so soft
Through windows, aged and cracked
Across wood, warped and scratched
To reach a lonely creaking chair
With a lady, with a faraway stare
Oh, Ghosts of Christmastime
Are you still here, or have you gone?
A shape within the smoke
A whisper from the dark
I’m haunted, but I’m not afraid
Please give me all your signs
Let me know I’m not alone
~ 🕊
Snow shrouds the abandoned park
Across a street that’s hardly walked
Silver flakes sparkle in the air
The only company left to feel
But through the rosy spectacles
That we know to be nostalgia
You can still see the specters
Hazy boots fall in unseen prints
A child’s squeal, down the slide
Friends and neighbors coalesced
From Easter hunts to New Years’ balls
Now it feels like they’ve all gone
Old ones taken by the angels
Young ones left for higher places
Oh, Ghosts of Christmastime
Are you still here, or have you gone?
Everything is gutted and abandoned
Houses on this street feel empty
I remember when they were homes
Please let me see your signs
Let me know I’m not alone
~ 🕊
I still wake up expecting
To see the glow and shine
Of a Christmas tree and lights
In a cozy den, so full of life
Mother, father, siblings all here
Among entrails of colorful paper
Cousins, uncles, aunts all gathered
Praying ‘round a blessed feast
Husband, children, grandkids still young
Still playing with the fresh new toys
I seem so forsaken
Just like this neighborhood
But I can feel a foggy hand
Clasp my shoulder, comforting
I can hear echoes of laughter
And the tears from rougher times
My eyes are lost, my mind has wandered
But I won’t let the sorrow win
No, I don’t feel sorry, I’m not giving in
I’m still here, and I am not alone
Oh, Ghosts of Christmastime
You are still here, you haven’t gone
I can feel your presence, strong
Time has robbed you of this world
But you linger, waiting, here for me
I have seen all of your signs
This year, I know I’m not alone
~ 🕊
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Canary word: Present
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125,020 Literary Works • 672,736 Reviews
Hello again 😊 I have come to you for another review, this time because of the 12 Days of Reviewing 2025 event! Let’s go!
Oh no, that sounds so depressing qq It rly feels as if the holiday spirit is gone from this ☹I already like the line abt lifeblood. And that it rhymes. I truly enjoy poems that rhyme :3
I feel like the first stanza has this… cozy place it describes but the words used “warped”, “blood” and the “faraway” stare leave such an undercurrent of… something less cozy 😊 As if yes, the scene is peaceful but there’s still…hurt somewhere?
The feeling strengthens when the narrator asks for the Ghosts of Christmastime, as if something is missing, something they can fix.
I like this phrasing: “My eyes are lost, my mind has wandered“
And that there is a more hopeful tone at the end of the poem! Thanks, I needed that!
Hi Tikaya! Thanks for giving this a review, much appreciated.
This is a really nice poem! I see you've mastered it well.
I like the repetition of the phrase "Ghosts of Christmastime." It tells the reader that something must be going on, but we don't know what. What does "Ghosts of Christmastime" refer to? Are these the 3 Ghosts from A Christmas Carol? Demons? Aliens? We don't know yet, but what we do is that something strange and mysterious is going on with them. Who are they? You'll have to read more to find out.
Also worth mentioning is the prose. There isn't really a rhyme scheme here, but that makes it even more unique. I like poems that don't rhyme as long as they're well-written. (I do that myself too) Anyways, a good poem doesn't have to rhyme; it has to revolve around a certain theme. I believe theme is something that ties a whole story or poem together. Without it, there's no story at all. The theme revolves around the fact that, as I just mentioned, we don't know what these "Ghosts of Christmas" are. Perhaps we'll see as the time comes.
Overall, this is a well-written poem and has great potential. 5/5
Thanks so much! I appreciate the feedback.