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8.17.2011

so much happiness








































It is difficult to know what to do with so much happiness.
With sadness there is something to rub against, 
a wound to tend with lotion and cloth.
When the world falls in around you, you have pieces to pick up,
something to hold in your hands, like ticket stubs or change.
But happiness floats.
It doesn't need you to hold it down.
It doesn't need anything.
Happiness lands on the roof of the next house, singing,
and disappears when it wants to.
You are happy either way.
Even the fact that you once lived in a peaceful tree house
and now live over a quarry of noise and dust
cannot make you unhappy.
Everything has a life of its own,
it too could wake up filled with possibilities
of coffee cake and ripe peaches,
and love even the floor which needs to be swept,
the soiled linens and scratched records…..

Since there is no place large enough
to contain so much happiness,

you shrug, you raise your hands, and it flows out of you
into everything you touch. You are not responsible.
You take no credit, as the night sky takes no credit
for the moon, but continues to hold it, and share it,
and in that way, be known. 


So Much Happiness | Naomi Shihab Nye



the gorgeous photo is by: rion on flickr



16 comments:

Sonja said...

that made me smile. love it.

Dee Paulino said...

that photo left me breathless, I wish I could jump into that bed.

elisabeth said...

perfectly said.
happiness floats.

♥elisabeth

Anonymous said...

perfect photo and words. :)

Little Tree Vintage said...

loved this, thanks for sharing

rebecca said...

as i get ready to write a post about happiness and the fact that i am, out of nowhere, FEELING it...you post this! how timely. let's drink it until we are full. :)

jackie said...

beautiful. the photo and poem go perfectly together

Hailey said...

I love Naomi Shihab Nye! One of my favorites! I love this poem of hers: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/177521
but my very favorite is this one: http://www.upwordspoetry.com/Naomi%20Shihab%20Nye.htm

Belinda said...

so beautiful, thanks for sharing this.

bel. xx

Mel said...

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing. Perfect photo for this by the way.

Rebecca Simmonds said...

That photo...

Asha said...

Beautiful. I love Naomi Shihab Nye. My favorite is 'Kindness'. It's here on my blog:

http://whilethereisstilltime.blogspot.com/2007/09/this-could-be-you.html

And I love this one too, called The Rider:

http://whilethereisstilltime.blogspot.com/2011/01/fast-enough.html

You write really well, you have such a beautiful blog here. Thank you, and all the very best.

Unknown said...

stunning! x

Unknown said...

Such honest and true words... Thank you for sharing them! Now I must go and read more of Nye :)

paddle to shore said...

You have such a beautiful blog :) I Will definitely be returning over and over and over again :)

Kate said...

One of those things that gives me the shivers. Thanks for sharing! And the picture is quite amazing.