It’s a minute to midnight,
I’m watching the clock tick-tock its way to a new dawn;
Trying to capture the exact moment of the transition;
This wouldn’t be my first attempt,
Though each time I’d managed to miss the tangibility
Of that sharp dividing line separating old from new.

Sometimes I wish everything would come to a standstill –
A moment of silence to acknowledge the passing of a season.
Sometimes I wish there would be a tremor
Through the fabric of existence,
To signal the birth of a new cycle.

My body and memories attest to the passage of time however;
With a little help, the distinction is perceiveble and sobering.
There have been new scars and bonds; unexpected twists and turns;
With jarring shocks and pleasant surprises.
Taking an overview brings to mind the image of an arena
That has borne witness to a bloody messy boxing match;
And the victor of this encounter in his corner,
Battered and bloody, almost unrecognizable,
Being patted down and touched up,
But with that unmistakeable note of victory and euphoria
Hanging right over him, numbing the pain and stirring the soul.
He doesn’t need to be told he has won,
Because to the far side of the arena,
His opponent still lies – knocked-out,
Down for the count, and out of time.

This day marks victory for the living;
Triumph in a battle we were not equipped to fight.
Gratitude, Always…To the Lord whose battle it was.

This day marks victory for the living;
For some, a clueless victory;
For others, a battle well-fought and a victory hard-earned.
In all this: Gratitude, Always…To the Lord whose battle it was.

This day marks victory for the living;
And comes with a confident assurance as we move into a new arena;
Knowing that: Gratitude, Always…To the Lord whose battle it is.

Happy New Year!!!