January

January arrives

and coats us,

like a heavy snowfall,

 with a blanket of depression and trepidation

that we must push aside

or trudge through

 by any means possible;

Like a suffocating smog

 it clouds our aspirations and resolutions,

strangely reminding us of our mortality and self-worth.

Fond moments of previous years

 often surface as we evaluate

and vow to change things

 we are unhappy with.

Will it be this year that our life improves

or will we feel the same

and live the same existence for another year?

Each morning`s darkness weighs heavily on us

 as we

reluctantly force ourselves from our warm duvets

into the chilled home

 that only last night toasted us

like marshmallows on a roaring open fire.

Hoping the day ahead brings warmth and contentment,

thoughts of stark reality creep forever forward

reminding us,

 with the click of the light switch,

of our true existence.

Shortened dark days,

characterizing the season,

so grey, without real light,

failing to lift us,

 inspire or motivate us in any way

strangely and significantly

 seem to last forever,

day after day, day after day,

 and still no sun to lighten our hearts,

To give us hope,

 to make us want to reach for the curtains

to want to see what the world has in store for us.

To inspire us

and help us see and feel that there is a future;

that our lives will not always be so cheerless and clouded.