December

Perhaps December
sounds like remember,
because on this last month of the year,
it makes you reminisce
about what you’ve done
within its 365 days—
the ups and down,
the highs and lows,
as well as the happiest
and the saddest moments you’ve had;
it makes you have
this trip down to memory lane
of all those memories
you’ve created
all year long
but for me
each time the 12th month enters,
it brings me back to the year
when the world was supposed to end
but it didn’t—
‘though the Earth didn’t collapse,
my own world
got messed up,
until it was ruined
when December comes,
it never makes me recall
about the things I had done
for a whole year—
rather it takes me back
on that same year,
and same month
a loved one passed away
so to those
who are grieving
during this holiday season,
here’s a warm embrace through this letter
remember
you are not alone
not feeling the ambience of celebration—
I am with you in this pain
so let’s continue healing
until we see ourselves
smiling genuinely again.

—Ren Ednalig, The Storytellers