The mountains make me happy
The swaying trees, strong trunks
A canopy of leaves, meandering trails
Nests for birds burrow for rabbits
Shade in the sun, shelter from the wind
Unquestioning, unflinching, not judging
Not reciting past laurels, nor planning future conquests
Living the moment, respecting you when you are fair
Making you pay, dearly, when you dare!
The rivers make me happy
The gentle current, the soothing flow
Forever flowing, never still
Raging torrents, ravishing shades
Asking nothing, accepting abuse
Dogged in determination, showing no discrimination
Teaching me to be constant, industrious, and just
Demonstrating that path is incidental and
The destination is the only essential.
The songs keep me happy
The melodious and the mellifluent
The soft and the shattering
Meaningful and merely foot tapping
Deep, shallow, empty, and all in between
Instrumental and the monumental
Rebellious ones that changed history
Mere renditions of actual history
Ephemeral and the eternal, momentary and the momentous
Ballads, party, pretty and boisterous
They teach me love, understanding, empathy
And have shown that they can lead a change!
Be it Times they are a-changing
Or Hum kagaz nahi dikhayenge
The books keep me happy
The thin and the bulky
Fables, fantasies, and fantastic
Tragic, triumphant, and the telling
Comic, coming of age, and the compelling
History, historic and of the heroes
Magical, mystical, and the majestic
Morals, metaphors, and allegories
It is not an empty claim to say
All that I needed to learn, I learned from the books.
The children make me happy
In their innocence I see trust
In their trust, I see the confidence
In their confidence, I see a tomorrow
In their smiles, I see a hope
In their hopes, I see a light
In their sharing, I see no schemes
In their caring, I see no expectations
Unlike grownups in the children
I see a desire to be happy
They show us what we once were
And what we could have been, if we cared.
The dogs make me happy
The unconditional love
The underserved devotion
The selfless dedication
Their capacity to live only for you
With no life that you can call their own.
They play when you want them to
Sleep when you sleep, walk when you take them
A broken ball keeps them glad
A harsh word makes them sad
A mere treat sends them to raptures
They show you how to care and how not to fake
That is why when I meet people
I take my dog and go to the mountain or the river
Or spend my time with a book, music, or a toddler!
Pic Courtesy: istockphoto.com
