Being a Meditation Upon the Arrival of the Year When It Said It Would

Thenew year arrives too soon for some,
too late for others,
and at precisely the right moment for those who measure,
who record,
who maintain ledgers of the punctual and the tardy,
who know to the minute: when the timer should sound,
when the roast should emerge,
when the guests should knock,
and when the party should begin—
who have made a religion of the well-timed entrance—
and who therefore greet the turning year not with champagne,
but with satisfaction,
the clock having finally done something right.

Now, let's have some of that champagne, shall we?
— ❦ —