New Year’s Day Swim

The mother’s toothless stare frozen into her final pillow
The panic that pedalled November into winter
The bright-eyed sunflowers that wilted into spiralled seed
The skittish words that bit my tongue
The song that found the strength of rock
Each wave washed pieces of old year from my skin

The muddles, the messes, the charity shop dresses,
The songs that birthed and those that died,
The boxed up tears I could have cried,
The dances that never found my feet
The friends I did and didn’t greet

Each bean sowed, each rose pruned
Under each of 13 turns of moon,
Each fat plum pecked and stoned and jammed
Each stroke, each step,
each breeze, each breath

With salty blessings one, two, three,
Now all drifting out to sea

1/1/18