Happy is hard

Back when I had fingernails,

before I anxiously bit them all off,

they had dirt resting underneath them

that sparkled with memories and echoes of laughter

and when mommy saw it, she’d giggle but, “wash your hands before dinner!”

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It was a beautiful life — the simple life

A kiss good morning, breakfast and a “have a good day!”

A quick bike ride to school before a whole day of play

ABC’s, 123’s

Dad’s tuna melt for lunch, a bit of fruit punch

Back home for dinner after playing with friends

The fun really never ends!

Only briefly for dinner where mom’s made my favourite

Her famous chicken casserole, and oh how I savour it

Like clockwork, all the neighbourhood kids gather again

Man, I’m telling you it was perfect back then

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How I long for the good ol’ days

For the dirt under my fingernails

For the slides and the swings

Where the birds soar and happiness sings

These days, if I dirty my fingernails, I have to go purchase a whole new set

But I don’t even have time to do that

I just got home from work

I have to do the taxes! I have to clean the whole flat!

I do need a break though, so I’m going to take some time off

These days, happiness is elusive

So I’ll book the all-inclusive

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Happy used to be so simple

So effortless, so magnetic

The rose coloured glasses are free when you’re young

But as you get older, they start to lose their hue

The rhymes even begin to break too

Happy is hard these days

But we still do our best

To live every day to the fullest and pass every test

We desperately cling onto the magic that youth’s spell cast,

and so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.