You Do Not Have to Be New

You do not have to be new.

You do not have to

Reinvent your personality

Or the wheel a thousand times

Over this new year.

You only have to love what is

Already here.

The earth will keep moving

As it always does.

“Tell me about despair, yours,”

And I will do my best to hold it

And you as I tell you mine.

We do not need more.

At least not more of what

those on top tell us we need.

But maybe, as we release those expectations,

There will be more space for

What is most true, most loving, most kind,

As we remind ourselves,

We already have our place in the family of things.

David Gate (@DavidGatePoet)