Ode to Happiness

I became happy when I finally stopped defining happiness.

I found happiness only when I stepped away from Happy Road,

The road where sunshine blinds you and birdsong deafens you,

The road which is so flat, so easy, so pretty, straight and broad,

Where you walk in light all the time, where you feel you’re right...

But you sometimes wonder why you aren’t getting anywhere.

And you don’t feel right any more, you feel wrong, and tired,

The birdies don’t make you happy, they make your head ache,

And the sunshine doesn’t warm you, it burns you like a flare,

The flowers are too bright and the sky is too blue, child’s painting,

And the birdsong just dances a dance of confusion in your head.

So, eventually, into darkness, into undefined futureless nothing,

Away from easy flat roads and glaring sunlight which blinds you

Until you can’t see where you’re going, you only know it’s good.

Only from the darkness can we see the true nature of the light,

Only in silence do we find the beauty of birdsong, and truth,

Such as it is, hides away in the caves and forests of the mind…

You will never find truth in the middle of a flat, sunny roadway,

You will never walk to happiness by going only in a straight line

The more you follow Happy Road, the more lost you become,

It is a siren-street, beautiful, alluring, self-affirming…. and false.

It’s a vision we are forced to create for ourselves, every day,

Every moment, we assiduously manufacture the fluffy clouds,

Clouds of sunshine and bird song which fog our true vision,

It’s the only way to progress, to survive, to walk the long road,

Lest we see the monsters and demons which snap at our heels,

For we would die of terror, or simply sag from exhaustion,

Dying of tiredness at the side of an endless road to nowhere,

Paralyzed by simple reality, hopeless, helpless, directionless,

For such is the true nature of our existence, we must hide,

We must run, all the time, constantly, or we be swallowed.

In this existence there is no true happiness, it is only an illusion,

A necessary evil, a platitude to keep us from suicide and despair,

A chimera we chase endlessly, believing but not believing, but

Needing to believe, needing something to move on towards,

But always knowing deep down that it is a false goal, a dream,

The route to happiness is to abandon dreams and face the demons,

For only by the light of the darkness will we recognize ourselves,

Recognize our true dreams, and find the courage to follow them,

Follow them away from the road and into the twisted darkness,

Chase them, and learn courage along the way, and find hope in despair.

The sharpest swords are forged in the hottest flames. ....

Reviews

[Art Sun]

Interestingly written piece...funny how we perceive happiness, and yet it is right before our eyes, there within the mind, deep inside the heart and as physical as the Soul is spiritual...I like how you have delved with the darkness and the light it is there where we truly find who we are...

nice...

[Solitaireman]

This sounds you have experience one hell of a epiphany, my friend. We need to find happiness, or at least what makes us happy, in our own way. I really like how you expressed yourself. Excellent.

[azeilc]

Your'e right about this I gotta admit. I've been trying to define happiness my entire life but I still have no clue to what it really is now ;) you inspire me by this. Nice job :)

[G. K. Bostic]

This is brilliant! The truth of it and the skill and beauty with which it's written are both brilliant. Definitely adding to my favorites!

[SpitfireGrrrl]

The sharpest swords are forged in the hottest flames. ....

So very true!! Awesome write!

[InkSlinger]

Oh I have walked this road.. from time to time in life.. and have found myself asking where have the birds all gone, why is the sun so warm.. my mind flooded with unhappiness and I found myself struggling to take one more step... You capture the weight of being unhappy so gracefully here.. Lead me down a road full of mystery, dark and winding, and let me find peace again.. Super job!

[SpokenWord]

It is so true that from darkness we can see and appreciate the light so much better. Interesting write and exploration on being happy. I had a friend who said he would never be happy only content in life. I like to think that happiness comes from within and therefore we control our own happiness and the level of it there in. Excellent write.

[.]

. my goodness ... that was a bomb ... needless to add ... i agree almost entirely ... brilliantly written ... excellent flow ...