Tallies

How can my days seem so long
when my years keep flying by?

Now in August,
I think about Christmas -
how it isn’t that far away.

I yearn for the peace the season brings,
the memories that float around me,
in decorations displayed:
a manger scene gifted a few pieces at a time,
ornaments that represent places visited,
a mantel of snowmen,
angels, lights, hope.

Then I remember.

December is cold, and gray,
and the days will still drag out,
summer heat or winter dark,
the hours weigh the same.

Summer heat will cool,
acorns will ping the roof,
leaves will form a slippery carpet,
and I will curse them both.

Winter will sneak in,
hiding behind a warm afternoon,
then found again
by morning frost.

But Christmas lands with certainty.
I cross it off the ledger.

Another year tallied
come New Year’s Day.




Poetry by Melinda K Zarate The PoetBay support member heart!
Read 166 times
Written on 2026-08-14 at 18:54

Tags Time  Seasons  Aging 

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Sameen The PoetBay support member heart!
This has a nice, lived in rhythm. The tension between long days and fast years is relatable, and the Christmas decorations as memory markers is a lovely touch. The manger scene, the snowmen, the angels, all do good work. But the middle starts to wander a bit. The acorns and slippery leaves are fine, but they don't add much to the main feeling. The poem finds its focus again at the end with the ledger image. That final tally lands with a quiet, tired weight.
2026-08-25


Kee Zealy The PoetBay support member heart!
Christmas is your favorite time of year. Reality cannot be escaped. Time does pass quickly, even if the days crawl by. At this point in life, it’s control what you can, affect those who pay attention plan for what is possible and let the rest go.
2026-08-15


jim The PoetBay support member heart!
I hear you, longing for what's coming: cooler, warmer, wetter, dryer—happier; not enjoying the moment, the moments drag, the moments fly by. So true.

Though, sometimes the moments are sublime.
2026-08-15


Jamsbo Rockda The PoetBay support member heart!
The opening says it all. We are creatures defined by time but never understanding or controlling it. I love the lines "Winter will sneak in, hiding behind a warm afternoon".
2026-08-15


Griffonner The PoetBay support member heart!
Oh dear... you just reminded me. I know where you are coming from! I wonder if this will be a year of giant acorns, which we have had from time to time. It seems incredulous to me that we are so short of water here (with this tremendous heat wave) and yet the grapes on the vines are plump and large and ready several weeks ahead of the norm! Blessings, Allen
2026-08-14