With every year that does pass
There's another soul lost,
And I'm left here to weep all alone
Whilst counting the cost.
As I think of the joy that we shared through our lives,
That all seemed to vanish so fast,
Like the blossoms of springtime,
And flowers of summer,
And all the endless blue skies
That did turn to grey,
I watched the sunlight that rose
And then faded away.

The cards on the mantlepiece stand
In the candlelit room,
I peer at each one of the names
Through the dark and the gloom.
Those old faces and friends of the family survive
But I know that so many have gone,
And the spaces, show me,
The heartache and sadness,
And I wish that I could bring them back
This time of year,
For I miss every one of them most
When Christmas is here.

ANDREW BLAKEMORE

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/when-christmas-is-here/