The ending of a  year of fullness and emptiness,

some seconds lasted an eternity and some weeks passed by in a blink.

A horrible year of watching newscasts filled with human misery, then,

to notice a simple reflection on my windshield could take my breath away.

Days when the seniors around me and the youngest children brought the same joy.

When family and good friends surrounded my heart with love

And when aloneness permeated my soul .

Some trees have been pruned and stand strong,

while quercus rubra fell into a million pieces.

My tears have fallen as heavy as the rains

and laughter tumbled over itself like the swollen brooks.

Music has stirred me, given me hope, and

memory of old, forced me to the ground of my grief.

This year will move into next year,

shaping the time that is to come,

imagining that much will be repeated,

ever more reminding me that I am alive still.