Where happiness lives

That empty window on the top floor
In the building with half broken walls
Where edges of broken bricks frame the meaningless window
Screaming of a bulldozed past

That’s where happiness lives
In the curtains that once moved to the early morning wind
In the drapes behind which a child once playfully hid
As his mother called his name

In the shadows formed by the afternoon sun
Over the stillness of hot summer days
Slowly moving through the sleepy rooms
Till the gentle sounds of crickets filled the cool night air

The sounds of laughter still echo
Through the old, broken walls
Memories of a childhood past
Succumbing to nature’s laws

Yes, this is where happiness lives
Unseen and unheard
An expert at the game of hide and seek
In hidden corners it lurks