“Isn’t it strange that
in order to be happy
we have to ignore
all the sadness in the world
at that moment? That we
have to forget the ballooned
bellies of children that are dark
and empty inside. That not too far
from our homes, women sleep on
cardboard and are grateful for the
bitter wind because at least it’s not
rain. That there are teenagers
taught to avoid eye contact
so their fingers are quicker on the trigger
but whose nightmares eventually compel them
to pull the trigger on themselves. That there
are battered dogs with skin taut like a drum,
ribs jutting out, their eyes so beautiful
it makes all the men cry.
Isn’t it strange that in order to be happy
we have to unremember a lot of
what we already know?
Yet,
I still don’t believe that sadness is our
natural disposition. Because there is
so much to be done. So many to help.
Maybe we aren’t meant to be happy
in spite of all the sadness.
Maybe,
it is a call for us to help others
overcome it.”