Happiness by William Jay Smith

Poems

February 1997

Happiness

Burke

was right!

Sorrow is human, what of happiness?
The monster that is carved on Ishtar Gate
with fish-scaled back, bright eye, and clawed hind feet
is not so strange. And strange but not so sweet
the scent of violets in early spring
when newly rich, low-reaching branches sway,
and clear cold water bubbles from the sand
to bathe a carefree schoolboy’s naked feet.

Yes, happiness is human: touch of hair
and hand; now where we go a trumpet vine
announces us upon a gilded stair;
and joy is real, and happiness is rare;
and so we kiss, and kiss again, and twine,
while roosters toss gold coins into the night.

William Jay Smith

Events

July 16 2009

OPEN CHICAGO EVENT

more details

Webcasts

"Taking the Occasion," poems by Daniel Brown
The eighth annual New Criterion Poetry Prize winner reads selections from his book at an evening with the Friends of The New Criterion.

Jay Nordlinger on the future of classical music, from an evening with the Friends of The New Criterion.

A profile of the abstract painter Thornton WIllis
Directed by Michael Feldman. Featuring Thornton Willis and commentary by James Panero. Produced in coordination with Willis's March 2009 exhibition at Elizabeth Harris Gallery, New York

Weblog

Sarah Palin, a modern Cincinnatus?

by Roger Kimball

Jul 05, 2009 01:17 PM

The Washington Post: was anyone really surprised?

by Roger Kimball

Jul 02, 2009 10:31 PM

See Me Gloat

by James Bowman

Jul 02, 2009 05:01 PM

The New Criterion

Poems

Events

Webcasts

RSS feeds