Happiness

Once there was
a pit called Happiness
dug by a boy
with a spoon and a guess.

He tossed in some toys,
a cake half-bitten,
his bright yellow hat
and a joke poorly written.

He flung in a wish
and a warm hug
A dance in the kitchen,
a wink from a bug.

He dropped in a rainbow,
some tickles and a peppy tune,
a scoop of Vanilla ice cream,
and a violin’s swoon.

Few years later he looked at the pit.
It wasn’t full, not even a bit.

He then scooped it deeper and deeper,
and turned the pit into a crater.

He now fed it
his trophies and stars
"I did it" medals
and dreams from jars.

The crater was shaped like a promise
but acted like a game
It kept gobbling, asked for more
and played the same.

He hurled in more
than ninety-nine things
His sprawling mansion
wedding band
and his kid's swings.

He stood at the edge,
with nothing more to give,
and wondered aloud:
“Is this how we live?”