New Year’s Resolutions

I should try to live a little more this year.           

I should be a little sillier,

Make someone laugh every day

(Even if that someone is only me—)

I should make myself laugh every day.

Whenever I’m walking with someone and see a dog

I should shout DOG with far too much enthusiasm and

I should not be embarrassed 

And I should go and pet it, if there is time

(And I should make time to pet dogs–)

This year I should always have time to pet dogs.

I should wave at people when our paths cross

Even if they don’t wave back,

Even when I realize

  that’s not—actually

      the person I thought it was 

     I should strike up more conversations and

        start initiating plans and

              stop texting if they never respond.

I should stop walking on grass because

There is enough space on the sidewalk for all of us and

I should stop walking with you if you

Don’t make room for me.

I should stop drowning in two feet of water

When things are out of my control

I should make a womp womp sound and move on.

I should give myself time to breathe.

I should rip the word should out of my dictionary.

And if there comes a day

In the first week of February

When I find I’ve already given up

I will not wait another year to try again.

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