A Stroke Of The Pen (Poetry)

There was a time when
this list used to grow
new names were added
and the Christmas post
thudded through the door

Familiar writing
on those envelopes
affection inside
and sometimes a line
or two of news ... more

to follow next year
And so it went on
until fate found them
some moved away — lost
touch, died or divorced

Some cards came back ‘NOT
KNOWN AT THIS ADDRESS’
Their name crossed through so
final — nothing else
we were left to guess

what happened. Each year
we reminisce as
we go through a now
much shorter list — call
absent names to mind