Christmas list

My Christmas list is not too long
And very modest - nothing wrong
With wishing for a bit of rest
On an exotic island west
Or east of my surroundings, where
One seldom finds exotic flare.

Another item on my list
Is everyday parental bliss
With not a worry in the world
And not a single iffy word
Designed to cause dismay or rage
Or simply make you feel your age.
(The rest of it is pretty great.
It won’t be instant so I’ll wait
A few more Christmases, perhaps.)

I wish for some mid-morning naps,
A slimmer waist, a calmer mind
And lots of chances to unwind.
I’d like (if not too much to ask)
To go through life without a mask
And with a sense of taste and smell
That never fails to function well.

Another thing… OK, enough
Of endless wishful thinking stuff.
The work is winding down. The tree
Is up, and life is such a treat
There is no reason to persist
With any kind of Christmas list.

But if I do, right at the top
My list will say: all wars must stop.