The Keys to Happiness

I have come here to raise my eyes.

I have come here to keep them riveted on heavenly light.

When I feel my eyes, that window, when I feel

my eyes my heart my soul closing, I take 

a small breath and say a simple prayer

Help me keep my spirits, my breath, steady,

help me keep my heart open to hope and possibility and the beauty

all around me. 

No matter that icicles drip

lower than the windows. No matter 

that the snow is deeper on this November day

than it is in much of January.

This is plain white, the snow the snow

the soft the soft soft soft fluff of cotton.

All is right with the world when we are

wrapped in cotton warmed by

others. Loved this way, our inner eyes 

open to the moonlit trees at night

We see pink and lemon sunrise and

turquoise oceans and cozy fires and warm foamy

baths and tender new grass and chocolate puppies 

and purple tulips and two people kissing under a starry sky.

It is a miracle that we are able to 

see what we cannot see.

It is a blessing that these tapping keys are keys

to the world of words that

can make you feel sunlight

even though it’s millions of miles away.