Enduring Gifts

The week before Christmas
we stood holding hands
on the mountain
and looked down where morning's mist
blanketed the valley.
Both full aware of the beauty of that scene
we simply stood.

We had nothing except
our youth and love for each other,
and Christmas was close.

He said, 'I hereby give you this valley
It's yours to keep.'

'The sky is yours,' I said.
'whether it's blue or grey,
or inky black and full of stars,
it's yours.'

We looked at our valley beautiful,
its sheltering sky,
the place they met.
'They can never be separated,' he said.

The years have passed
and both that lovely lad and youth
have gone; but our valley and
our sky remain. Enduring gifts
they were.