At the Door of Twenty-Six

Twenty-six knocks, heavy with hope still
Bills, grief, and plans sit at the door
I promise less, but mean it
Fear walks beside resolve
Small steps must still count
Time will test me
I stay soft
Eyes wide
Go

W3 Prompt #193: Wea’ve Written Weekly

Write a Nonet about the new year — 2026. How does this year feel to you so far? Are you hopeful, uncertain, energized, reflective? Have you set any goals or intentions? Are there resolutions you’re excited (or nervous) about?

Let your poem capture your thoughts, expectations, and emotions as we step into this new year.

How to write a Nonet
The Nonet poetic form is simple and structured. It’s a 9-line poem, where each line follows a countdown of syllables:

Line 1 — 9 syllables
Line 2 — 8 syllables
Line 3 — 7 syllables
Line 4 — 6 syllables
Line 5 — 5 syllables
Line 6 — 4 syllables
Line 7 — 3 syllables
Line 8 — 2 syllables
Line 9 — 1 syllable
You can write your nonet in any tone — reflective, hopeful, funny, anxious, determined — whatever feels true for you as 2026 unfolds.