By Malachi Edwin Vethamani
Christmas Cheer
The familiar sounds of carols
and hymns are distant
as are the smells of
curries and freshly baked cookies.
Boyhood memories warm the spirit
but the passing of the years
missing loved ones
brings a chill to the heart.
The present so varied
and so unfamiliar
of the once held dear
Christmas joy.
A chef is roasting the turkey.
A waiter is pouring my wine.
Text messages are streaming in
but give little Christmas cheer.
Malachi Edwin Vethamani is a poet and writer. His poetry publications include: Life Happens (Maya Press, 2017) and Complicated Lives (Maya Press, 2016). His edited volume of poems entitled Malchin Testament: Malaysian Poems (Maya Press, 2017) won the Best Book prize in the English Language category for the Malaysian Best Book Award 2020 organised by the Malaysian Publishers Association. His latest publication is an edited volume of poems entitled Malaysian Millennial Voices (Maya Press, 2021). His poems have appeared in various literary journals. He is Founding Editor of Men Matters Online Journal.
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