When bitterness bites my heart
with anger, resentment, hurt
and a sense of unjust treatment,
what should I do?

Does it soothe my heart
to accept what has happened
as Destiny?

Does it soothe my heart
to strive to discover
what I can do
to improve my situation
to increase my joy and happiness?

Does my joy and happiness
increase
when I appreciate
opportunities for joy and happiness
in my current situation?

Singing out my sorrows
in poetry
I feel
my emotions relieved
my thoughts clarified
and I am ready
to strive for joy and happiness.

If my joy and happiness
depends
on telling someone "I love you",
should I tell them?
And if they reject me
will I still have
the joy and happiness
of having expressed my love?

When it feels
like my mind
is falling apart,
do I need
rest and rejuvenation
meditation and
philosophy
to consolidate
my emotions and thoughts
and achieve peace of mind
and clarity of thinking
so I can be more effective
at striving
for joy and happiness?

When striving
for joy and happiness
becomes fatigue with stress,
do I need
rest and rejuvenation?

Is living
striving to discover
the answers
to the questions
in my mind
about how to achieve
joy and happiness
within an unknown Destiny?