when
I am
the only one
awake
and the wind
is blowing
through the night
my heart stutters
I have lost
balance
in both
my feet
and
my soul
I cannot say
I possess
the necessary courage
to open myself
to the blatant order
of time
as another year
prepares to add
the mantle
of its responsibility --
I am stopped
by a thought
that if you listen
echoes
over the years

the only thing
old about you
is your age


Cori Gershon