New Year: This was the year that was not the year

“This was the year that was not the year,” by Brian Bilston

Wednesday, January 1, 2024: Eighth Day of Christmas

This was the year that was not the year

I repaired the bathroom tap

and emptied out the kitchen drawer

of a lifetime’s worth of crap.

This was the year that was not the year

in which I launched a new career.

516 A West End hit eluded me

as did Time Person of the Year.

This was the year that was not the year

I became a household name.

Action figures were not sold of me.

I wasn’t made a dame.

This was the year that was not the year

I spent less time on my phone.

Nights of passion did not happen

in boutique hotels in Rome.

This was the year that was the year

I didn’t get that much done –

much the same as the year before,

much like the one to come.