Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at York U chapter.

31,536,000 seconds.

8,409,600 breaths taken.

146 billion cups of coffee consumed, in America.

130 million babies born, worldwide.

18,164,736,000 Big Macs purchased.

6.5 trillion cigarettes sold, on average.

13 orbital rotations of Earth’s moon.

And one full revolution around the sun.

 

There are plenty of ways to measure a year.

In time, in friends made, in laughs had,

In life-changing events, in pounds lost,

Or not.

In the changes you hoped to make,

The places you got to see,

In the goals you achieved,

Or sad memories.

 

So why wait for a fresh start;

A new beginning; a clean slate,

Dictated by the passing of time,

Or the changing of states?

Why wait for a new season?

There’s nothing clean about Spring.

Why toast to some special occasion

When you don’t feel well about what you’ve achieved?

Photo via Pixabay

 

In this world where nothing is ever good enough,

Full of false idols and decorative garnish,

We live in a series of tomorrows,

With greener grasses and new varnish.

Rafiki said, “look beyond what you see,”

But we took it wrong, always looking for the next big thing.

The next bright star, the next bold way to waste today,

Scheduling to start our next best life tomorrow.

 

So be truthful, and answer this —

Why do you need a new year to be a new you?

Why are you always driving into the mountains,

Instead of looking back in your rearview?

Come on, tell me, help me see —

Why would I need a new year to be a new me?

Why can’t my resolution start December 31st?

Why can’t your diet start right before dessert?

 

They say the human body regenerates every 7 to 15 years.

But your skin replenishes in 2 to 3 weeks,

You have a new colon every 4 days,

300 million of your cells die every minute.

Your body is constantly giving up the bad,

Getting rid of the old,

And making room for the new,

So why won’t you?

Photo via Pixabay​

 

Be better, stand up straighter,

Eat healthier, quit your vices.

Don’t make today the scapegoat,

For tomorrow’s regretted choices.

The incoming tide won’t cleanse you.

The rising sun won’t renew your will.

You’re not a photosensitive flower,

You can bloom whenever you feel.

 

So start your own cycle,

Stop making excuses,

Blaze your own path,

And find your own impetus.

If you’re constantly living your best life,

If you’re always in the midst of bloom,

Then it might be a brand new year,

But you can rejoice for the same old you.

 

Kiana is currently in her fourth year at York University studying Dance, Kinesiology and Education. She loves spoken word poetry and is passionate about topics like the LGBTQ+ community, animal rights, veganism, mental health and wellness, and the arts. After finishing her bachelor’s degrees, she hopes to become a teacher. You can follow her on Instagram at @queerkii
Wilfrid Laurier University Alumna - BA Honours History & Minor in Sociology and Religion and Culture. York University B.Ed. Her Campus York U Campus Correspondent/ HSA Advisor/ Chapter Advisor.  When I'm not leading the team, advising, or writing you'll find me watching any and every reality T.V show or re-runs of Friends and Gilmore Girls. Semi-classy wine lady who thinks pineapple on pizza is a crime.