Happiness

She arrives unannounced.

She’s wearing her hair shorter now
And seems somewhat subdued
A few more wrinkles ’round the eyes
A little less sparkle.

At first you don’t recognize her; it’s been
So
Long

She perches on the couch, gingerly
Not quite at home
Away for too long now to be part of the family.
At first you look at her, and
She looks back, unspeaking

Where has she been?
Why did she leave?
How long will she stay?
Can she be trusted?

In time you embrace her
Awkward at first.
Stiffly,
But then in time you both relax
And breathe a sigh
And try a smile, even
A laugh.

At first it’s nice and all
And she’s a special guest
At first you tend to her,
Carefully.

But then in time
Too soon it’s easy to forget
What it was like when she was gone,
What you were like without her there.
And soon
When you’re not looking
When but a moment occupied with something else,
You turn to find her and she’s gone.

At first it seems you can’t go on without her,
But then in time you learn
Too soon you numb
And soon you stop
Looking for her face.