In the morning
remind yourself
to choose joy now
not the cheap kind
made with breathless
exclamations
but the hard won
joy, the kind you
reach down deep and
pull hard to get
or maybe it’s
what happens when
you stop trying
to impresis us
and admit what
makes you mad or
has you scared or
shatters your heart
sweet honesty
brushes clear the
dead leaves of old
stories we tell
ourselves when we
feel too small
when you let go
of pretending
you break through
to the great joy
hidden inside
your human soul
Each morning I remind myself to choose joy. It isn’t always easy. This poem went in a direction I didn’t expect. As often happens with poetry, it told me something I need to hear.
In your journal:
- Is there cheap joy? Hard-won joy?
- Write a joy poem
- What makes you mad?
- What has you scared?
- What shatters your heart?