I imagine things that do not exist
And to those that do, I am blind
As a spew of caustic apprehension
Pervades through my mind.

I am possessed with a fear of losing
A thing much near and dear,
Or having lost it already
Or, more fiercely, not having had it ever.

Losing it would affect me
And make sour my present,
But not having had it threatens me more
Stripping off my very essence.

Did I hallucinate then
If I indeed lived in a delusion
And thought of holding the thing
So firmly in my possession?

Or am I being paranoid now
In making mountain of a molehill
When I still possess the thing with me
Unblemished, unbruised, and whole?

What makes you happy? I asked little kids,
Their parents or sweet candies?
In a flash the kids reply,
Oh, surely, the candies give them joy.

What makes you happy? I asked teenage girls,
Their friends or a dress with curls?
In a flash the ladies reply,
Oh, surely, the dress gives them joy.


What makes you happy? I asked a young sonny,
His health or big money?
In a flash comes the fellow’s reply,
Oh, surely, money gives him joy.

What makes you happy? I asked married couples,
Romance or children’s chuckle?
In a flash the couples reply,
Oh, surely, children’s chuckle gives them joy.


What makes you happy? I asked old people,
Candies, dresses, money, or children’s chuckles?
In a flash the wise respond,
Oh, surely, of these things they were fond,

But,
with candies gone and dresses worn,
Parents passed and friends lost
Money blown and children grown
Health weak and romance bleak
Life has taken a sudden turn;
Happiness means not being alone.