I stare into the early darkness of a thick cloud cover,
overwhelmed by absence of joy
at this point
and had done nothing to help,
it’s a strange feeling, it’s milky in color
and resembles dirty dishwater.
Is this really happening, and if yes, then
why and what must be done,
are just few of the questions that
flood the mind—
somewhere, in the middle, of it all I seem to hover.
At precisely fifteen minutes past eleven the phone
rings,
when a friend calls me and heartbeat slows,
he is a man of sunshine, smiles,
and eyes that change from brown to hazel
and every color
in between, a bureau of magical things,
soon the conversation turns lively
and I find myself rising
out of the doldrums, how is it
that the thought of calling him didn’t occur before?
Were this my only flaw I would have let
it rest,
I am human, so naturally despair is
more often than not close enough to smell
my musk and feel my heat,
he speaks of mountains surrounded
by evergreen trees
whose branches are heavy with snow,
so fortunate am I,
so much in return of kindness I owe,
the pale glow of the moon shines through
the uncurtained window,
his comments are simple but moving and make
me wonder why
I was stressed in the first place.
How is it that the thought of calling him
didn’t occur before,
I wonder as out of the doldrums I rise,
the conversation, still lively, continues for
an hour or two,
he is a man of sunshine, smiles, and eyes
that change from brown to hazel
and every color in between,
a bureau of magical things,
my heart races and slows, when precisely
at fifteen minutes past eleven the phone rings,
it’s incredible,
how much joy talking to a friend, brings.
Photo credits: Pinterest
Merril hosts at dVerse where she invites us to write about something that brings
us joy. Come join us! 🩷
Posted for Poetics: Choose Joy @dVerse Poets Pub
30 Responses
After our conversation yesterday, you have me wondering. I hope you felt this joy, or will soon. 💙💙
I like the title, too. 😊
Thank you so much, Merril 😀 so glad you liked it! 💄❤️
(and thank you for the glorious prompt) 🥂
PS: Haha I will call you 😉
I love the ending, when a simple conversation with a friend can lift you up & out of the doldrums. I adore your character sketch of:
he is a man of sunshine, smiles, and eyes
that change from brown to hazel
and every color in between
Joyful greetings from me!
Thank you so much, Grace 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Friends do bring such joy when you are in the doldrums. Wonderful poem.
Thank you so much, Di 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Great poem.
❤️❤️❤️
Well done, Sanaa. Friends do bring joy when they call. We all need cheered up from time to time.
Thank you so much, Dwight 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
Wonderful, Sanaa. 🙂
Thank you so much, Kitty 😀 so good to see you 💄❤️
Joy just a call away….touching..such heartfelt emotion..
Thank you so much, Ain 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
I love the way you built up your poem, from dark and cloudy ‘absence of joy’ and a feeling that’s ‘milky in color and resembles dirty dishwater’, to the phone call from ‘a man of sunshine’, ‘rising out of the doldrums’, and incredible joy. Your poem has brightened up my gloomy morning, Sanaa!
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, my dearest Kim 😍 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
It is amazing how much such a call can mean… and how much joy it will bring to both.
Absolutely! Thank you so much, Bjorn 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
yes, joy in such a friendship. you are fortunate ~
Thank you so much, M 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
Friends like yours remind me how joy is freely given and so mutually shared. How we sulk and hoard our miseries.
Yes! Thank you so much, Brendan 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Some people can truly turn our days around. I love how the tone of your poem shifted from the absence of joy to one brimming with joy.
Absolutely! Thank you so much, Shweta 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
I also appreciated how you began with a lack of joy [which would not be you] the the glory of joyous emotion simply connecting with a friend. Cheers. Going to try to wake up early Saturday Morning!!!!
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, my dearest Helen 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
This is a lovely read. I am delighted for you that speaking to a friend brings you so much joy.
Friends are such a joy and as so aptly put, a simple conversation with friends can lift us out of doldrums. So lovely, Sanaa. 💖💖
Ah, true love, discombobulated, not thinking, a man of sunshine, how beautiful – great read Sanaa and joy for the reader too.
“Fifteen minutes past eleven” — the phone rings. A friend’s voice. Joy. All communicated with the imagery of joy and wonder. So lovely, Sanaa.