Dave Bonta's poem is a quiet scene of intimacy between two lovers, probably set around New Year, since the title borrows from "Auld Lang Syne." The speaker says the whole year feels "as large / as one kiss in the kitchen," so all that time shrinks down to a single small, warm moment at home.
The fire is "new and hot," which could mean a real fire in the room, or the freshness of desire, or both. The speaker asks, "are we happy loving," and the question reads less like doubt than like gentle wonder. The "little death" is an old phrase for orgasm, so the poem suggests that the couple is making love, and with no "reason / for hurry now," the mood is slow and unpressured. The ending is tender: they "bless" each other "with mouth to ear," and a "sudden note" passes between them, maybe a whisper, a sigh, or a shared sound. The poem feels hushed, close, and content.