Big. Long. Exhale.

a poem to start 2026

Jan. 1, 2026—waxing gibbous moon in Gemini

Big. Long. Exhale.

You do not have to understand to stop
and let this aching moment breathe—
in fact, that very pause, the act of tipping
the world on edge, basting it with love
     for the briefest time,
     for no other reason than it exists—
that act takes this broken limb hour
and knits it into something
we can all survive.

© Tracie Nichols 2025

With love and hope,

Tracie