SEEK OUT THE GEMS

      SEEK OUT THE GEMS

      Sometimes the joy inside us can be seen.

      An aura of circled gold, a halo

      that proclaims even when we’re down and out,

      broken by the vise of sorrow, we can still

      look at life and feel holy by God’s gifts.

      In this imperfect world, seek out the gems

      that light the road upon which we skip

      like children in their hopscotch chalked boxes.

      Trade away the long face, the upside-down

      quarter moon, the spritzer of crying jags,

      the cynical outlook of glasses

      half-empty, the orders we give to our bones

      not to dance or embrace or go out of

      our way to show love and contentment

      to the lonely, the lost, those caught in a rut.

      Be happy! God created the world for us.

      Make someone laugh! In our short time here,

      let’s do it up right. Thank God we were born.

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