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
At the Door of Twenty-Six

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.

Comments

10 responses to “At the Door of Twenty-Six”

  1. writingwhatnots Avatar


    ‘small steps must still count’ – yes they do! Beautifully written.

    1. PebbleGalaxy Avatar

      Thanks.

  2. murisopsis Avatar


    Jaideep, I love the imagery you used in this nonet! The door, the bills, the steps all together a strong projection of what is and what can be!

    1. PebbleGalaxy Avatar

      Thank you!

  3. ben Alexander Avatar

    Jaideep, this feels grounded to me—the image of “Bills, grief, and plans” at the door really lands. The ending feels quiet, determined, and open.

    ~David

    1. PebbleGalaxy Avatar

      Thanks, David.

      1. ben Alexander Avatar

        *hug!*

  4. ben Alexander Avatar


    hi, Jaideep❣️


    Just a quick note to let you know that this week’s W3, hosted by our beloved Nolcha, is live and open until Monday:


    https://skepticskaddish.com/2026/01/14/w3-prompt-194-weave-written-weekly/


    Sorry for the delayed notice — I’m starting a new job tomorrow and was solo-parenting for two weeks, so things got a bit hectic.


    Much love,David

    1. PebbleGalaxy Avatar

      Much appreciated. Thanks, David. 🤗

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