The Mystery of Happiness

[Lightning Rod]

I'm never happy
but I'm happiest when I smoke
this is because I know that death is part of life
I also like being quiet and thinking
I suppose some call this meditation
but I don't have the discipline for that
I prefer to call it staring off into space

But happiness is not a state of being
it is an active verb
yes, I know, it's not a verb at all
but a noun, the name of a thing that is out there
an object to be grasped for

this brings me to gratitude and thankfulness
these are obscure notions to some
but I find that I am happier when I am grateful or thankful

to some, the simple avoidance of pain or anxiety is happiness
in biology, there are several things which characterize a living thing
these are things such as respiration, reproduction, excretion, locomotion
one of the definitions of being alive is that you exhibit irritability
this means that you seek comfort and avoid discomfort
but biology says nothing about happiness

that's probably because happiness is not in the realm of biology or any science
and philosophy and religion really confuse the subject
art comes the closest to defining it
because art wants to capture the moment, the butterfly
the feeling that is gone before it can be described

contentment is a pale version of happiness
I've experienced it. It's better than some of the alternatives.
so, we have to ask ourselves the question:
Is happiness something that we settle for or something that we strive for?

I think it's neither.
I think we are all happy. Call me a Pollyanna.
but as soon as we discover who we are
we also discover that we are happy.

[Doreen Peri]

nice poem

want to move it to the Creative Writing forum?

[Lightning Rod]

I'm not sure it's a poem

[Doreen Peri]

Then why did you break it into lines instead of typing paragraphs? It looks like a poem. It sounds like a poem. If it looks like a poem and sounds like a poem, it's a poem. Right?

Unless your intention is to discuss happiness, what happiness is, what makes people happy, etc, then I suggest you or I move it to the poetry forum. But whatever you'd like. It's your piece.

Maybe you're asking us all to discuss this?

Is happiness something that we settle for or something that we strive for?

[Doreen Peri]

This could be an interesting discussion. Poems can inspire interesting discussions. We don't need to move this. It's up to you.

......

It's only been recently in human history that people even thought of "happiness."

It used to be they are concerned with survival.

[mtmynd]

"it looks like a poem..."

does it sound like a poem?
does it feel like a poem?
taste like a poem?

(((wrackamentos)))

i like this passing thought, LRod... glad i was here to see it.

[YABYUM]

"is happiness something we settle for?"
I have experienced the lives of people who settled. I think it to be a false happy. A painful, well rehearsed lie that a man had to train his self to believe. I think happiness is found within the constant mental excercise it takes for one to stay in the race of contantly striving to be happy.

PS. You had to start that with lovin cigarettes didnt you? I used to say I loved them. I think I'm just addicted to a very, very heavy and addictive drug. I havent lit up since Saturday the 26th, sometime after dark my pack went empty. I dont think I am UNHAPPY without smoking. I think I am suffering through a state of withdrawal, brought on through years of chemical dependency. I am STRIVING to find happiness by becoming an ex-smoker.

PSS. The way words are assembled dont make em a poem. If the writer says "this is a poem" then I'll think those words a poem.