Happiness 2 Poem by Barry Middleton

the Buddha said
the happy person
is like the moon set free from the cloud

to be set free from desire is a lofty goal
perhaps no man achieves
but only reaches out

difficult victories retreat from our grasp
like gods that vanish in the fog
like sand washed away by the riptide

to hold contentment
I celebrate the simple things
the rising sun and solitude

gratitude must greet the day
for here is something I can seize
moments drifting like leaves in the wind