hello, january

hello, january—it’s good to see you again.

would you like to stay a while?

make yourself at home. I’ve laid blankets

on the couch, draped them on backs of chairs

to keep warm. there’s cocoa in the kitchen.

I’ve been expecting you,

of course. you arrive with hope,

with promise, like dawn

after a terrible storm.

& yes, I mean that literally,

because we did have terrible storms

that flooded & burned & devastated us,

but I also mean that metaphorically.

you bring a chance for renewal.

you let us reinvent ourselves. my resolution?

no fad diets for me this year;

I’m learning to love myself, maybe

for the first time. no silly promises,

like yell less or work more or

be a better person. do people really do that?

wait for your arrival

to declare their intention for betterness?

anyway, my resolution is happiness.

just happiness, no specifics.

you’ll bring some, in your own way:

coffee dates with a friend, a good book,

maybe fresh snowfall,

cozy nights & sparkling lights,

the soft tranquility of beginnings.