The Janus Question

by Cliff Lake

We count the days
According to our own wisdom,
Marking time
To know how much we owe,
Or what is owed to us.
So, we tell ourselves
We have a chance at new beginnings,
New promises to keep,
To not keep,
To forget,
Or ignore.
Still, we can convince ourselves
To make the try,
To reach further,
To grow more,
Or to hold on to old ways
And call them tradition
To resume the rituals
That have brought us
To where we are
And name it heritage
Because habit is easier than progress.
Comfort does not encourage the wildflower;
It must endure both the rain
And the hard soil that is its home
So that it may reach for the sun.
One must burn
To fully understand the fire,
Else there is the chance the pretty light
Will consume us in our ignorance.
So, we greet the new year,
Vowing to move forward,
Or doubling down in the routine
And the growing frustration of
Nothing getting better…
When that better 
Could be us.

Cliff Lake 1/7/2024
Copyright © Clifford Lake 2024