There It Goes

Another December folds its hands,

quiet, patient, waiting for me

to tally the wins, the almosts, the losses.

I sit with it, stare at the calendar

and feel time breathing down my neck.

I made things this year

with my hands, my heart,

knots tied with care,

threads spun into something solid.

Who knew the small could feel so big?

I tried things this year

stepped out when the ground felt shaky,

spoke up when my voice wanted to tremble.

Some days I won, some days I watched

the world move while I stayed still.

I let go of things this year

people, dreams, doubts.

And while some drifted softly like leaves,

others ripped away like bandages,

leaving marks I’m still learning to love.

Now the year slips behind me,

a patchwork quilt of days stitched together,

messy but warm enough to keep me.

The clock is calling, the new year waits,

but I linger a little longer,

not mourning, not celebrating,

just holding it all.

Because somehow, I made it through

a little braver,

a little softer,

a little more me.