Sense of an Ending (Poem for 2021)
The future is brighter
I think I sense an ending,
I think I feel it now –
I wasn’t quite sure when, or even really how,
But look ahead, at the new year
That’s rolling out ahead of me:
I only hope, respectfully,
We’ll have a better start.
Do I feel it in my heart?
Do I feel it in my bones?
No, I don’t, but if I can,
I will condone
A healthy dose of brighter cheer,
Of looking out and thinking clear
As to what this new year brings,
A second chance to leave the things
That pull us out of line:
The wasted chances, the thwarted time,
The punishment that had no crime.
Yes, we stayed inside and, yes, we kept our distance —
But did we ever have a choice?
No, not for a single instance,
Did we wish to separate
From those we love and celebrate,
But we did
To keep them safe,
But we did
To give them space,
Which they didn’t want
But simply had to have.
