New Year?

Somewhere, way back when,

somebodies decided

this day in the circuit

of mother earth's cyclical journey

'round the big warm ball of fire

would be the beginning.

   It doesn't really matter

   which day it is,

   but it's helpful

   to have such a day;

      one to pause at a self-imposed

      chronological threshold

      glancing into the revolution ahead

      as well as over our shoulder

      at another concluding orbit.

      It's a temporal junction

      of sorts, reminding us

      that we, like time,

      have past, future, and now.

   Here's my intersecting

   hope for us all:

   that yesterday's lessons learned

   don't become tomorrow's

   fear or anger burned;

that the days and years ahead 

don't succumb 

to anxiety and dread;

that today's light is savored

for its sheer joy and beauty,

breath by breath,

word by word,

smile by smile,

selfless act of love

by selfless act of love,

hope by hope.

© 2016 Todd Jenkins