<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;" class="">Happy New Year</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); min-height: 14px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none; background-color: #ffffff" class="">The party's done, the plastic cups used up -</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">the ones we never know whether to wash or throw away -</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">thus </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">ambivalence follows us </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">into the new year</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">starting with the cups. </span></div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 108px; text-indent: 36px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">But the feeling of being</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">together the best nourishment.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Although the food was also good.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">My mother's traditional crab mousse </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">so fifties in flavor</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Even the punch </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">a throwback to simpler days</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">when 3 kinds of sweet liquids mixed together </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">did not make us quake </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">with fear of the consequences.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26); min-height: 14px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">There are of course big resolutions, </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">mostly the same </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">again and again</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">but the real joy comes </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">because I am just a bit calmer </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">a bit better at riding the waves </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">of my own tumultuous inner oceans </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">the steady inner core</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">like a steel rod liquid channel of awareness</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">quicksilver river of my dreams</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">is easier to hold onto </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">an alabaster bannister</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">in the storm of life.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26); min-height: 14px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">My teacher brings out the poetry in me</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">like a doctor </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">extracts the built up fluids under the skin.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">All these words accumulated from years </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">of picking at the scabs and neglecting </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">to clean old wounds.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Now they arise as the elixir of life,</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">the cream that rises to the top,</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">the honey sequestered in the flower</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">the scent of sprouted white narcissus on the driveway.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">And I respond to welcome the new year with this poem.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- </span><span style="text-align: right; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">Basha/Barbara Hirschfeld</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26); min-height: 14px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: right; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" class=""><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;" class="">Basha/Barbara Hirschfeld</span></div></div></body></html>