Friday 27 July 2018

HAPPY

What does happy look like to you?
They fill the shelves with How To Be Happy,
but it's a sale.
What if you could be happy
without the sale?

What does happy look like to me?
My parents at the bottom of the garden,
Dad investigating his old domain;
He used to be the one who
cleared the ivy, tidied the hedges,
raked the weeds and watered the green -

Time took his eyes away,
but not the pride.
Nothing half remembered about that.
Arm in arm, they take a turn
about each bed, each nook, each curve;
Mum describes the changing years

in patterns of leaves,
trading the memory of colour
with his cane; but her hands
still tell most of the stories -
he accepts this was always her way.

Golden fields beyond their figures;
My mother's laughter, the evening chorus.
Wood pigeons salute their love.

(c) Shaista Tayabali, 2018
linking here with my fellow Dverse Poets 







12 comments:

Kim M. Russell said...

I love your happy. Parents are special and precious.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

I love your parents. And you and your SPECTACULARLY wonderful family, whom I would adopt in a heartbeat, if I could. You are lucky you live across the pond, or you might find me on your doorstep too many times. Smiles. I still hope one day I will find you on mine! I love your poem and can picture your folks wandering the garden as your mother describes the state of the blooms...........lovely. What makes me happy? Everything that is beyond price, of great worth: blue skies, clouds, forests, waves, birds, animals, dogs, wolves, books, movies, my adorable little village. And my friends.

brudberg said...

Happy should be like that, not packaged and sold.

Pat R said...

I really like what your happy looks like. Nicely done.

Pat

Helen said...

You chose perfect subjects for your Happy Poem. Beautifully composed, a joy to read.

Dwight L. Roth said...

Beautiful and heartfelt sharing.

Dwight L. Roth said...

I love the photos of you parents as well!

lynn__ said...

Happiness is a loving family...yes!! Thanks for sharing this endearing poem.

AJ (Ange) said...

Beautiful - warmed my heart 💞

paeansunplugged said...

Happiness is family! What a heartwarming write, Shaista and lovely pics!

ben Alexander said...

"with his cane; but her hands
still tell most of the stories -
he accepts this was always her way."


This is SO beautiful, Shaista!

Much love,
David
SkepticsKaddish.com

purplepeninportland.com said...

This is lovely. They sound like very special people.

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