The Truth About Tigers

Hello, friends.

Another New Year’s Eve has arrived. The weather couldn’t have been better—65 degrees and sunny, with a light north wind. I spent the day visiting the Austin Zen Center, taking a walk along Lady Bird Lake, and enjoying a cup of coffee at Civil Goat on Guadalupe, where I wrote this short poem.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read or comment this past year—and even more so, thank you for all the incredible poetry you’ve shared. Y’all are the best. It’s awesome to have a group of such talented, inspiring friends—that I’ve never actually met.

Wishing you all a safe, happy, and peaceful new year.

– Nick

Make Friends with the Fallen Leaves

A quiet door opens,
as another closes.
The last breath of the year
feels much like the first.

This next revolution greeted
with mindful gratitude,
an earth-bound walk.
When feet brush the path,
it sounds like surrender.

A song shared with a winter bird,
a nod passed to a stranger—
just for a moment,
before momentum carries forward.

We smile,
pay our respects to impermanence.
And make friends
with the fallen leaves.