Poem 10 What is Joy?

We use words like happiness and love very loosely.  Is happiness an ice cream and sunshine at the beach?  Is it a new baby or a promotion at work? All of these things can make us happy and we can honestly say to ourselves, "At this moment I feel happy."

Love is a bit more complex.  We know we  love someone but we keep asking , "Is this really love?  How do I know if it's the real thing?"  The truth is that you never really know until much later, when you are better able to see through the tangle of emotions and can reflect calmly on your feelings.  In the meantime you can only act on instinct to give you an answer.

Joy is an even harder emotion to grasp.  You may be happy.  You may be in love.  You may look for joy, but can't seem to find it.  This should not be surprising, because  joy will not be found, so don't go looking for it!   You never know, it may catch you by surprise when you least expect it.....  

Joyfulness
 
The paradox of joy
is that it dances round
the corner, just as you
try to clutch it;
a little like love,
which is slower on its feet,
and may yet be snatched.
 
Joy, unlike love,
will not submit
to the hard-luck tale,
or the tempting
heated breath of passion
of the ardent suitor,
or the one-night stand.
 
Nor does it smile on those
whose backs, through toil,
are twisted hard away,
day after day,
who cannot feel
the feathered touch of  bliss
when it appears.
 
For joy will stalk you
like soft zephyrs
in mid-summer,
and touch your naked body
should it choose.
Joy will not to be found.
​It may find you.