Happiness
Is a clean bill of health from the doctor,
And the kids shouldn't move back home for
more than a year,
And not being audited, overdrawn, in Wilkes-Barre,
in a lawsuit or in traction.
Happiness
Is falling asleep without Valium,
And having two breasts to put in my brassiere,
And not (yet) needing to get my blood pressure lowered,
my eyelids raised or a second opinion.
And on Saturday nights
When my husband and I have rented
Something with Fred Astaire for the VCR,
And we're sitting around in our robes discussing,
The state of the world, back exercises, our Keoghs,
And whether to fix the transmission or buy a new car,
And we're eating a pint of rum-raisin ice cream
on the grounds that
Tomorrow we're starting a diet of fish, fruit and grain,
And my dad's in Miami dating a very nice widow,
And no one we love is in serious trouble or pain,
And our bringing-up-baby days are far behind us,
But our senior-citizen days have not begun,
It's not what I called happiness
When I was twenty-one,
But it's turning out to be
What happiness is.
One of the best poems at this site. You must be reader of good poetry. You create wonderful imagery. I am going to read your other poems.
(Happiness (Reconsidered) by Judith Viorst.) **A fine visual of happiness.
That's a very nice poem. i am really taking in by your style of writing.
When I was twenty-one, But it's turning out to be What happiness is. so beatful happiness could be I wish to eat PLUM ICECREAM
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
That woman can make you smile at the verities of life... regardless of our upbringing, regardless of our different trials, some things we share and one of them is an appreciation of this woman's warmth and humor