There's a coat still hanging by the door Blue with yellow stitching at the sleeves Too small now for anyone to wear But I can't bring myself to take it down The table stretches longer every year More wood showing where the plates used to be This is what December does Brings back everyone who isn't here The house remembers better than I want it to Every Christmas makes the quiet worse Your mother's recipe box sits unopened I bought a ham instead of turkey this year The neighbors brought a casserole last week They don't say much, just leave it on the porch This is what December does Brings back everyone who isn't here The house remembers better than I want it to Every Christmas makes the quiet worse I thought about taking down the tree this year Leaving the boxes in the basement But routine is all I've got to stand on So I hung the lights like nothing changed This is what December does Counts the empty chairs like inventory The coat stays on the hook beside the door Every Christmas, I just lock the door a little earlier The snow still falls the same I watch it from the window That blue coat in the corner of my eye