happiness

joy is a sneaky little thing
dancing around in flickers
flashing before my eyes
teasing me relentlessly 

it is agile like a mouse 
and this cat has learned
after years to not chase
happiness is a master of evasion

i draw closer and closer
yet when it is before me
it dissolves into the ether
like a desert mirage

and i have long been thirsty
burning in the depths of hell 
rare moments of relief
are frustratingly impermanent

joy is not a static thing
something i can grasp tight
and make promise to never leave
sands of time slip through my fingers

ceaselessly it trickles through
after waiting with held breath
until the instant i let my guard down
and loosen up my hands