2026-01

greeting the new year happily but worriedly
hoping this ring around the sun ends with a win
staying good lengths away from the mainstream networks
trying not to have needless scuffles with the dumb

moving past the first day of the year too quickly
sparing these lines in the hopes that they go somewhere
hoping our undertakings will grow past this year
settling on a daily flow of things to get done

wondering if the world will one day see these lines
feeling rushed into the third day without much done
spending time looking inward rather than outward
knowing no such thing as showing up there "early"

keeping with the end to read twelve full books this year
learning how new looms learn and run forward with words
writing these on-the-go and sharing them later
seeming like the time has to keep us pulled under

stirring forth into the first full week of the year
dealing with business freely truly takes a lot
spending time on idle games feels like time misspent
choosing to keep these lines mostly unseen for now

riding into the midnight of another day
waxing once meant growing but no one says that now
hearing "nothing happened five years ago today"
seeing the words "nothing ever happens" again

staying in awe at those who can write tens of books
finding ways to handle ongoing upheavals
trying to get it together and not give up
stringing words together into many lines

hoping to trade time again for gold and silver
finding songs both new and old ever so hackneyed
wanting more outlined than reckless name-dropped writings
getting a kick out of the open emptiness

reaching for the yarn like an over-happy cat
riding onwards quickly into the great unknown
making room for more as the world spins out of whack
writing this a week ago when the year was new

writing five hundred thousand lines will not happen
writing at a speed of a thousand lines a year
wishing folks would hurry when they need to come quick
wanting folks to slow down when they make me hurry

bearing words from the middle kingdom into this
getting lost among the things to read and then write
holding to that need to keep the words straightforward
reading lately too much into the southern lands

missing almost a few lines but made it up fast
killing time means killing a small bit of myself
fighting with time only means fighting with myself
needing to find a way to end this tough long rut

getting weary of all the ill wills on the web
quickening the run towards the end of this set
settling into a steadfast and daily work path
shopping for a trip to take in a few short weeks

making this the year of my quickening (or else)
making this also the day of taking the stairs
knowing a thing or two about the old new year
having not much spare time to get this line ready

wearing a hat on the head today for hat day
eating a dough-filled bagel on this bagel day
rushing to look up stuff in the book of knowledge
raising the heat of the hearth stones in this cold spell

working with big speechcraft likenesses at this time
taking part in the nothing that is nothing day
wishing an old friend a happy birthday today
liking the hotter foods more than the colder cuts

carrying across some outlandish words for fun
learning that "tulip" and "turban" come from "cheesecloth"
praising the ice nowadays for that cool hardness
laying out the groundwork for all of the outlets

giving away old books that we no longer read
keeping in mind to take heed of our old holdings
handing out and selling off more of our spare stuff
letting anyone take the things that take up room

thinking twice about going to the southern lands
writing these lines while waiting in line for things
setting up the first new reckoner in five years
having lots to do without having to go out

having restful days after a week of hacking
peeking into the networks and seeing no one
taking a year and still more to end the fighting
sharing meaningful stuff and getting no answer

hoping always that things will become more well-kept
watching time get eaten away by happenings
taking part in the dry wit of "one-liners day"
hunting for happiness on a week like this one

wanting you to take time to see the time we take
having much less angst nowadays as a shut-in
making the mistake of not getting enough sleep
waking up and nodding off into a dreamland

staying in the loop with the flood of happenings
patching up the fingery writs of the networks
timing this for high noon when the fat old sun shines
taking forever to write this short string of words

ghosting around in the murky night after drinks
having a thing for waking up before the dawn
writing this a week ago to keep the timing
riming up: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight

riming down: eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one
hearing songs from the eighties while tapping on keys
holding the gold for now and then dumping it quick
shoving the fingered writ up to the old git hub

making a call not to go to the southern lands
wanting more to stay in the homeland for this year
undoing past setbacks and getting myself up
seeing how no one learned from a few years ago

noting this day to set out for a later trip
fleeing from the rush of the days and weeks and months
hearing the brisk cold wind howl with its lust for might
seeing light sticks rise from films of up-helly-aa!

putting together small bricks that can melt by fire
hearing someone speak in a way no one else can
carving out some words in the snow for this cold week
raising the heat some more while winter tries to win

turning off all the needless tidings that make wrath
finding some everyday things to be lost in time
making bucks with the new rise in the worth of gold
wondering from which far land the word "puzzle" comes

telling myself to bear down and hone in on it
feeling less steadfast about things now than before
drawing bad green deer on "draw a bad green deer" day
dragging the dead horse down the highways of the web

welcoming you to "hell is freezing over day"
backing many things up today on "backwards day"
wondering what happened to the warmer winters
grasping the end of the month as it dwindles fast