5 am waking
it’s becoming a habit
stories swirling in my head
this world
my world
days of my childhood
the old aunts in their stockings and hats
the uncles smoking cigars
my handsome grandfather at the head of the table
my grandmothers apple pie
generations gathered
the story of me
Sunday Mass
Christmas Eve
Champagne toasts
My mother’s smile
The smell of the pine
And the mistletoe
My father singing his Christmas jingle
Glasses clinking
Round the table
5 am and I don’t mind
loved ones wake me
to remember a time
when it was all so simple
and oh so sweet
I carry each memory deep inside
Loved ones gone
But not forgotten
Memories hold the light
Surrounded this morning
Ancestors calling
Whispering in my ear
In loving gratitude
I remember it all
Year after year after year
The Heart of Love 