ODE TO JOY
The elusive moments of joy
find you when you least expect it,
and may only last a moment—
like after you washed your car
or when you absentmindedly
focus on watching an ant
carry a load on its back—
or when you’re feeling blue
and an old friend calls up
to see how you are doing.
But to win a Nobel Prize in joy,
you have to be wise enough
to choose a mate who is awake
to what others fail to see or hear—
who sings and dances night after night,
deciphers hieroglyphics, paints, sculpts
and reads a Ouija Board like no one else.
With a beauty that never fades,
her presence is like living alongside
a summertime firefly all year long.
Every night is a wedding night—
you need to look no further
for someone who knows how to love
and be loved, the source of lasting joy.