We Were Happy
Once a man of old age sat beside me and spoke,
And I listened and nodded polite.
He spoke of a difficult life long ago,
Days of hard work and hardship and strife.
He told me how little they had to get by,
T’was a meager existence at best.
But I noticed that although his story was sad,
The look on his face did attest
That his memories did not bring sadness but joy,
So, I stopped him and questioned him why.
He looked quite surprised, but then smiling he said,
“Tis an odd thing I will not deny.”
“Although life in that day was a difficult road,
and we struggled each day for bare needs.”
“Yet from it we learned that which cannot be bought.”
“All in all, I recall... We Were Happy.”
Then he smiled and spoke on, but my mind followed not
for it fixed upon what he had said.
And I questioned myself, "How could such a thing be?”
“From so little is happiness bred?”
So, I sat searching out cross the days of my time
and I sifted through memories untold,
and I could not declare, “We were happy” despite
holding all whereby “happy” is sold.
So, in trance I did sit til his stand broke my stare,
and he thanked me for lending him ear.
But before he could part, I looked deep in his eyes -
t’was a light and a peace that was clear.
As I watched him walk off, came a whisper inside
and a calm rested over my heart.
“You choose your own fate, whether happy or sad.”
“Will you choose to make now a new start?”
