My 2026 New Year's Poem

For the past few decades, I've been writing a new poem on New Year's Day and sending it out by email. Used to be by Canada Post, but my list got to unwieldy. 

My poem for this year is below. I admit, writing this one was the biggest New Year's Poem struggle I've had in years. You should see the one I threw back.

STRANGE LAND (a poem for January 1, 2026)

 

Behold! An angelic blob

alighted before me

and reached out a hand.

It had this “Let me gently

 

guide you into the uncertain

future” kind of look on its face.

An idea alighted in my brain.

I looked into the distance

 

in astonishment, and when the blob

followed my gaze, I disappeared

behind the nearest tower

of freshly plowed snow.

 

There did I shiver and

I grasped my own hand

and led me through the slate

night, into the next blinding

 

morning. This was 2026,

which old people think

sounds like science-fiction and

young people think is whatever.

 

(Speaking of science-fiction, it’s

been more than 50 years since

that camp counsellor, Ken C—,

punched me in the head while

 

I was reading Stranger

in a Strange Land in bed

because I was the only kid

not pretending to sleep.)

 

I admit I want to punch

2025 in the head

and encourage 2026

to just lay down its head

 

and pretend to sleep.

If I need the angelic

blob’s help,

so be it.

Stuart Ross

Over and out.