HAPPINESS

i dunno
this happiness thing is getting me down
as you may recall
this not-so-new year
fireseed trying to focus his limited willpower
on just one simple resolution
the art of happiness
well sad to report that come february
happiness seems as elusive as ever
i have blotted my copybook
with angry confrontations
followed by sullen silences
but unlike in times past
at least i think i know what the problem is
that same old problem
that wreaks so much havoc among the human race
the deadly ego
the deadly ego that won't be subdued
that clings stubbornly to its attachments
to its deluded sense of self-importance
as it arrogantly asserts its superiority
persists with its petty insecurities and envies
vents its angers and frustrations
oh this ego lands me in so much trouble
it makes me rant and rage
squabble with and upset my loved ones
and this disappoints me all the more bitterly
when i am consciously striving
towards just the opposite outcome
but i must regard this not as failure but as feedback
for it flags up the need to stiffen the resolve
to keep working towards generating unconditional compassion
for all sentient beings
even and especially japanese whale harpooners
serial killers
terrorists
for what must it be like to be in their shoes?