I am going to write a happy poem
For once, I’ll neglect images of eternal damnation
And trade them for clementine peels and pomegranates
I’ll look up at forgiving skies with the eyes of a child
Rather than down to the mud beneath my aching feet
I am going to have some hope
I will grit my teeth and drag my feet, but I will do it
If I try hard enough, maybe I’ll convince myself this isn’t an apocalyptic fantasy
That there’s light at the end of any grim tunnel
I’ll skip through a field of daisies in a gentle breeze
Will do anything besides grimace when I think of the future
I’ll wrap my arms around my trembling body and make a first attempt at believing it’ll all be okay
I am going to learn how to swim
And instead of choking and sputtering as chlorine ignites my throat
I’ll float down the lazy river and ignore the world
The ocean won’t be frightening, won’t be unknown
I will push the pedals on my two-wheeler and never look back
Hope, this foreign concept, a new friend, will propel me
I’ll ride into a broad valley and rest my head on the soft grasses
And instead of reverting to my typical ways
I’ll spin around until I’m dizzy, intoxicated by hope
I am going to write a happy ending for once.