To the dedicated senders of cards,
I wish a garland of gratitude.

To the lapsed dispatchers of midwinter mail,
I wish evergreen threads of friendship.

To the givers of gifts,
I wish informed intuition.

To expectant unwrappers,
I wish appropriate appreciation.

To the screen-lit, worldly-wired,
I wish the peace of paper pages.

To the weary travellers,
I wish immediate age-old comforts.

To the pie bakers and gravy makers,
I wish an apron of all-round approval.

To the remote controllers,
I wish a mindful thumb.

To the nit-pickers, critics and curmudgeons,
I wish a rousing chorus of endorsement.

To the joke crackers,
I wish a crown of laughter.

To those who know the tune,
I wish an ear for the subtle harmonies.

To those too familiar with long dark nights,
I wish a vision of stronger days dawning.

Written on Christmas Eve 2010