Joy in being

There is in that tiny fragment of a moment

as we become conscious of our thought,

the name for that little emotion that slips through

becoming known as we are aware,

and the feeling as it floods the soul with the river of it all

when joy is the only thing standing at the tip of the tongue,

and laughter is its sound.

We hold onto those moments,

carefully guarding them like a petty child,

yet knowing we need to share and release

but oh how it hurts holding on so very tightly

for fear replaces the joy with thoughts of it being lost,

as if it would slip away from our tiny grasp-

and in holding on we starve the emotion,

the joy starts to become small

so we let go just a bit

and feel it begin to grow once more

learning that this is how it truly must be,

to hand it off to a friend,

to send that smile and the sound of a laugh

like the tinkling of wind chimes as it drifts through the air,

landing softly in the waiting lap of all.

Yes, this is how it must be,

to live that moment in a simple joy of being,

to grow the light

and to carry it forward into the day and night.