Poetry by Melanie Harless
It is the end of one year
the beginning of another
I take out all the calendars
sent by charities pursuing
donations
and choose one with lovely pictures
and the largest day blocks
with enough space to write many
upcoming events on a busy day
the calendar is smooth and new
holds the promise of a smooth new year
I hope that lunches and parties
will be filling the spaces, not doctor
appointments or boring meetings
I am already filling up the days
of January and will go through
each month and write in birthdays
and regular scheduled meetings
many people have online calendars
but I have launched a new calendar
with high hopes for the coming year
for as long as I can remember
I take my cup of coffee and walk
to the calendar each morning
and am greeted with a beautiful scene
as I check what awaits the new day
Melanie Harless began writing after retirement as a school librarian in 2006. She is an award-winning writer with poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and photography published in anthologies, journals, and magazines. She is a board member of Tennessee Mountain Writers and leads excursions for the Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning.
