poems-about-joy

82 Poems about Joy to Uplift Your Heart

Joy is a feeling that we all crave and seek throughout our lives.

Whether it’s the simple pleasures of everyday life, the excitement of new experiences or the fulfillment of achieving our dreams, joy uplifts the heart and fills us with a sense of gratitude and wonder.

Joy poems are a way to capture and celebrate these moments, to revel in the beauty of the world around us and the magic of being alive.

With their uplifting language and inspiring imagery, these poems about joy

remind us of the power of positivity and encourage us to seek out joy wherever we can find it.

So, let’s take a journey through the pages of some of the most uplifting and heartwarming poems about joy, and rediscover the wonder and magic of life.

You May Also Be Interested In:

Best Poems about Joy of Life

Best poems about the joy of life celebrate the simple pleasures, exciting adventures, and meaningful experiences that make life worth living. They uplift the spirit and inspire gratitude.

1. A Song of Joys

       by Walt Whitman

O to make the most jubilant song!
Full of music-full of manhood, womanhood, infancy!
Full of common employments-full of grain and trees.
O for the voices of animals-O for the swiftness and balance of fishes!
O for the dropping of raindrops in a song!
O for the sunshine and motion of waves in a song!
O the joy of my spirit-it is uncaged-it darts like lightning!
It is not enough to have this globe or a certain time,
I will have thousands of globes and all time.
O the engineer’s joys! to go with a locomotive!
To hear the hiss of steam, the merry shriek, the steam-whistle, the
laughing locomotive!
To push with resistless way and speed off in the distance.
O the gleesome saunter over fields and hillsides!
The leaves and flowers of the commonest weeds, the moist fresh
stillness of the woods,
The exquisite smell of the earth at daybreak, and all through the
forenoon.

2. A Joy in Evil And A Joy in Good

       by Sri Aurobindo

Even in this labour and dolour of Ignorance,
On the hard perilous ground of difficult earth,
In spite of death and evil circumstance
A will to live persists, a joy to be.
There is a joy in all that meets the sense,
A joy in all experience of the soul,
A joy in evil and a joy in good,
A joy in virtue and a joy in sin:
Indifferent to the threat of Karmic law,
Joy dares to grow upon forbidden soil,
Its sap runs through the plant and flowers of Pain:
It thrills with the drama of fate and tragic doom,
It tears its food from sorrow and ecstasy,
On danger and difficulty whets its strength;
It wallows with the reptile and the worm
And lifts its head, an equal of the stars;
It shares the faeries’ dance, dines with the gnome:
It basks in the light and heat of many suns,
The sun of Beauty and the sun of Power.

3. The Rainbow

       by John Keble

A fragment of a rainbow bright
Through the moist air I see,
All dark and damp on yonder height,
All bright and clear to me.
An hour ago the storm was here,
The gleam was far behind;
So will our joys and grief appear,
When earth has ceased to blind.
Grief will be joy if on its edge
Fall soft that holiest ray,
Joy will be grief if no faint pledge
Be there of heavenly day.

4. Hymn of Joy

       by Henry Van Dyke

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee,
Praising Thee their sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
Earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
Centre of unbroken praise:
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Blooming meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain,
Call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Well-spring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, —
All who live in love are Thine:
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the Joy Divine.

Mortals join the mighty chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
Father-love is reigning o’er us,
Brother-love binds man to man.
Ever singing march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful music lifts us sunward

In the triumph song of life.

5. Pleasure-Seekers

       by Ruby Archer

The world is sad with seekers after pleasure.
Blind eyes deny—they will not see.
The greatest joys defy their paltry measure
With worth of simple dignity.

6. I Am A Very Simple Girl,

       by Dr. Debasish Mridha

I am a very simple girl, very simple.
I only know how to love, how to care.
I only have kindness and joy to share.
I am a simple star without a twinkle.

I am a very simple girl, very simple.
I am not a famous dancer or singer.
I can feel your dancing heart with my finger.
My heart is longing for love, very simple.

I am a very simple girl, very simple.
My purpose of life is to get joy and happiness
By touching your heart with loving tenderness
I am a simple girl, I am the life, very simple.

7. Life Is A Tall

       by Dr. Debasish Mridha

For if life is a tall tender tree,
For then, life is joy, life is free.
The tree is dancing in the air, sunny or showers,
With his joy, with his love, with his flowers.

For if life is a tall tender tree,
There is no pain or gain, she or he.
No complaining, only serving and caring.
Creating life for joy of sharing.

For if life is a tall tender tree,
For then, there are no you and me.
We are nature; we are love; we are beauty.
Giving and loving is our eternal duty.

8. The Golden Heart That He Wore Around His Neck

       by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

OH thou token loved of joys now perish’d

That I still wear from my neck suspended,
Art thou stronger than our spirit-bond so cherish’d?

Or canst thou prolong love’s days untimely ended?

Lily, I fly from thee! I still am doom’d to range
Thro’ countries strange,

Thro’ distant vales and woods, link’d on to thee!
Ah, Lily’s heart could surely never fall

So soon away from me!

As when a bird bath broken from his thrall,

And seeks the forest green,
Proof of imprisonment he bears behind him,
A morsel of the thread once used to bind him;

The free-born bird of old no more is seen,

Famous Poems about Joy

Famous poems about joy have been cherished for generations, capturing the essence of the human experience in moments of pure happiness and delight. These timeless works of art continue to inspire and uplift, reminding us of the enduring power of joy and the beauty of the world around us.

1. Yes, I Had Hope

       by Louisa Stuart Costello

Yes! I had hope when first we met,
 for hope and joy were in thine eye;
‘Twas long before I could forget,
 I trusted thee so tenderly.

And even now, though years are flown,
 And all that charm’d me then was vain,
I think on happy moments flown,
 Until they seem to live again.

But I awake to truth and woe,
 And vanish’d is the pleasing dream,
Like the frail shade the moonbeams throw

2. Joy And Duty

       by Henry Van Dyke

“Joy is a Duty,”—so with golden lore
The Hebrew rabbis taught in days of yore,
And happy human hearts heard in their speech
Almost the highest wisdom man can reach.
But one bright peak still rises far above,
And there the Master stands whose name is Love,
Saying to those whom weary tasks employ:
“Life is divine when Duty is a Joy.”

3. From Blossoms Poem

       by Li-Young Lee

From blossoms comes
this brown paper bag of peaches
we bought from the joy
at the bend in the road where we turned toward
signs painted Peaches.
From laden boughs, from hands,
from sweet fellowship in the bins,
comes nectar at the roadside, succulent
peaches we devour, dusty skin and all,
comes the familiar dust of summer, dust we eat.
O, to take what we love inside,
to carry within us an orchard, to eat
not only the skin, but the shade,
not only the sugar, but the days, to hold
the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into
the round jubilance of peach.
There are days we live
as if death were nowhere
in the background; from joy
to joy to joy, from wing to wing,
from blossom to blossom to
impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom.

4. Oh! Flower, I Feel Sorry for You!

       by Aiswarya T Anish

I saw a nice little flower…
Enjoying herself in the nice warm fields…
The place felt fine, what a beautiful sight! !
Why didn’t it come yesterday? !
But the joy didn’t last long enough…what a pity!
‘Cause the flower was plucked away! ! !
It was no longer there
So was the beauty
How gloomy the place felt now for sight! !
Why do flowers bloom, if it has to be murdered this way? ?
Still, they bloom, though they die so prematurely…
But to beautify the Earth! !
Why do we hurt these little things, who give us joy? ?
They are the ones who blooms happiness to the world
Aren’t we too bound to be blossomed into flowers of happiness? ? ?
Oh Flower! ! I feel sorry for you! !
Can you be born again? ?
If I could, I would’ve fixed you into yourself again
But powerless I am…powerless except for eyes that are blind, but see evil thoughts
Why doesn’t man think before his acts? ?
Why doesn’t he care about his fellow creatures? ? ?

5. The Schoolboy Poem

       by William Blake

I love to rise in a summer morn
When the birds sing on every tree;
The distant huntsman winds his horn,
And the skylark sings with me.
O! what sweet company!

But to go to school on a summer morn,
O! it drives all joy away;
Under a cruel eye outworn,
The little ones spend the day
In sighing and dismay.

Ah! then at times I drooping sit,
And spend many an anxious hour,
Nor in my book can I take delight,
Nor sit in learning’s bower,
Worn thro’ with the dreary shower.

How can the bird that is born for joy
Sit in a cage and sing?
How can a child, when fears annoy,
But droop his tender wing,
And forget his youthful spring?

O! father and mother, if buds are nipped
And blossoms blown away,
And if the tender plants are stripped
Of their joy in the springing day,
By sorrow and care’s dismay,

How shall the summer arise in joy,
Or the summer’s fruits appear?
Or how shall we gather what griefs destroy,
Or bless the mellowing year,
When the blasts of winter appear?

6. Sonnet

       by Edmund Spenser

Of this worlds theatre in which we stay,
My love like the spectator ydly sits
Beholding me that all the pageants play,
Disguysing diversly my troubled wits.
Sometimes I joy when glad occasion fits,
And mask in myrth lyke to a comedy:
Soone after when my joy to sorrow flits,
I waile and make my woes a tragedy.
Yet she, beholding me with constant eye,
Delights not in my merth nor rues my smart:
But when I laugh she mocks, and when I cry
She laughs and hardens evermore her heart.
What then can move her? if nor merth nor mone,
She is no woman, but a senceless stone.

Funny Poems about Joy

Funny interesting poems about joy add a lighthearted twist to the often-serious business of seeking happiness. With their clever wordplay and humorous observations, they remind us not to take ourselves too seriously and to find joy in the everyday moments of life.

1. Among All Lovely Things My Love Had Been

       by William Wordsworth

AMONG all lovely things my Love had been;
Had noted well the stars, all flowers that grew
About her home; but she had never seen
A glow-worm, never one, and this I knew.

While riding near her home one stormy night
A single glow-worm did I chance to espy;
I gave a fervent welcome to the sight,
And from my horse I leapt; great joy had I.

Upon a leaf the glow-worm did I lay,
To bear it with me through the stormy night:
And, as before, it shone without dismay;
Albeit putting forth a fainter light.

When to the dwelling of my Love I came,
I went into the orchard quietly;
And left the glow-worm, blessing it by name,
Laid safely by itself, beneath a tree.

The whole next day, I hoped, and hoped with fear;
At night the glow-worm shone beneath the tree;
I led my Lucy to the spot, ‘Look here,’
Oh! joy it was for her, and joy for me!

2. Lost Star

       by Rabindranath Tagore

When the creation was new and all the stars shone in their first
splendor, the gods held their assembly in the sky and sang
`Oh, the picture of perfection! the joy unalloyed! ‘

But one cried of a sudden
– -`It seems that somewhere there is a break in the chain of light
and one of the stars has been lost.’

The golden string of their harp snapped,
their song stopped, and they cried in dismay
– -`Yes, that lost star was the best,
she was the glory of all heavens! ‘

From that day the search is unceasing for her,
and the cry goes on from one to the other
that in her the world has lost its one joy!

Only in the deepest silence of night the stars smile
and whisper among themselves
– -`Vain is this seeking! Unbroken perfection is over all!

3. The Joy of Giving

       by Aniruddha Pathak

Be it no more than just a glass of water,
A walking-stick alive rendered by daughter,
Care and concern, warm smile, none far too hotter;

Or quality time spent with someone old,
A warm blanket in times forlorn and cold,
In times of need a willing shoulder-hold;

A pair of slippers to feet walking bare,
Not in loud charity to show you care,
Heart-born feelings shown above false air;

Anything given short of counting ways,
Given to brighten up sinking heart’s greys,
To lighten load that too heavily weighs;

Give it in cash though kindest give in kind,
A gift of willing heart and well inclined,
A gift coming from soul— body and mind.

Give, the only joy greater than getting,
The only joy rarer than receiving,
Be the joy of giving and forgetting!

4. And You Will Shed Tears of Joy

       by Anjali Sinha

My love so intense
like fragrant musk’s incense
Would
permeate you
hypnotize you
anesthetize you
And you will shed tears of Joy.

My love so hot
like blazing sunspots
Would torment you
torture you
tantalize you
And you will shed tears of Joy.

My love so calm,
like soothing divine balm
Would comfort you
caress you
heal you
And you will shed tears of Joy.

My love so high
like majestic sky
Would shelter you
protect you
comfort you
And you will shed tears of Joy.

My love so forgiver
like pristine pure river
Would cleanse you
purify you
rectify you
And you will shed tears of Joy.

My love so divine
like Old bottled wine
Would energize you
galvanize you
divinize you
And you will shed tears of Joy.

My passion
emanating from divine station
would shock you
rock you
knock you
And you will shed tears of joy.

My emotions
healing as divine potion
would envelope you
embrace you
embarrass you
And you will shed tears of joy.

My divine eyes
calmer than sky
would chase you
daze you
amaze you
My Baby!
And you will shed tears of joy.

5. Returning, We Hear The Larks

        by Isaac Rosenberg

Sombre the night is.
And though we have our lives, we know
What sinister threat lies there.

Dragging these anguished limbs, we only know
This poison-blasted track opens on our camp –
On a little safe sleep.

But hark! Joy – joy – strange joy.
Lo! Heights of night ringing with unseen larks.
Music showering our upturned listening faces.

Death could drop from the dark
As easily as song –
But song only dropped,
Like a blind man’s dreams on the sand
By dangerous tides,
Like a girl’s dark hair for she dreams no ruin lies there,
Or her kisses where a serpent hides.

6. The Angel That Presided O’Er My Birth

       by William Blake

The Angel that presided o’er my birth
Said, ‘Little creature, form’d of Joy and Mirth,
‘Go love without the help of any Thing on Earth.’

7. Several Questions Answered

       by William Blake

What is it men in women do require?
The lineaments of Gratified Desire.
What is it women do in men require?
The lineaments of Gratified Desire.

The look of love alarms
Because ’tis fill’d with fire;
But the look of soft deceit
Shall Win the lover’s hire.

Soft Deceit & Idleness,
These are Beauty’s sweetest dress.

He who binds to himself a joy
Dot the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in Eternity’s sunrise.

8. Surprised by Joy

       by William Wordsworth 

Surprised by joy—impatient as the Wind
I turned to share the transport—Oh! With whom
But Thee, long buried in the silent Tomb,
That spot which no vicissitude can find?
Love, faithful love, recalled thee to my mind—
But how could I forget thee?—Through what power,
Even for the least division of an hour,
Have I been so beguiled as to be blind
To my most grievous loss!—That thought’s return
Was the worst pang that sorrow ever bore,
Save one, one only, when I stood forlorn,
Knowing my heart’s best treasure was no more;
That neither present time, nor years unborn
Could to my sight that heavenly face restore.

Short Poems about Joy

These short poetries about joy distill the essence of happiness into just a few lines, capturing the wonder and beauty of life in a quick and satisfying burst of inspiration.

1. Sweet Joy

       by William Blake

“I have no name:
I am but two days old.”
What shall I call thee?
“I happy am,
Joy is my name.”
Sweet joy befall thee!
Pretty joy!
Sweet joy but two days old,
Sweet joy I call thee:
Thou dost smile,
I sing the while,
Sweet joy befall thee!

2. A Little Joy

       by Sri Chinmoy

A little joy have I of ceaseless joy
A little day of timeless day.
Yet knows no bound this empty show of mine;
I march along a goalless way.
O Love! A desert within me ever pines.
Do turn it into a song of dawn.
I know not in what hour of evil night
Thou art, my Lord, from me withdrawn.
Life now must reach Thy Breath of Bliss supreme,
Make Thee the one and only Guide.
Thou art the Bridge between my death and birth;
O let my longings in Thee abide.

3. To My Friends

       by Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin

The chain of golden days and nights
Is still your heritage from Deity,
And, still, the languid maidens? eyes
Are turned to you as well intently.
So, play and sing, friends of my years!
Lose very quickly passing evening,
And, at your heedless joy and singing,

I will be smiling through my tears.

4. Blank Joy

       by Rainer Maria Rilke

She who did not come, wasn’t she determined
nonetheless to organize and decorate my heart?
If we had to exist to become the one we love,
what would the heart have to create?
Lovely joy left blank, perhaps you are
the center of all my labors and my loves.
If I’ve wept for you so much, it’s because
I preferred you among so many outlined joys.

5. Yet for Joy And Not for Sorrow

       by Sri Aurobindo

Even joy itself becomes a poisonous draught;
Its hunger is made a dreadful hook of Fate.
All means are held good to catch a single beam,
Eternity sacrificed for a moment’s bliss:
Yet for joy and not for sorrow earth was made
And not as a dream in endless suffering Time.

6. Joy

       by Hilda Conkling

Joy is not a thing you can see.
It is what you feel when you watch waves breaking,
Or when you peer through a net of woven violet stems
In Spring grass.
It is not sunlight, not moonlight,
But a separate shining.
Joy lives behind people’s eyes.

Long Poems about Joy

Long poetries about joy offer a more expansive exploration of the joys of life. With their rich imagery, evocative language, and intricate structures, they immerse readers in a world of wonder and delight.

1. The Joy of Little Things

       by Robert William

It’s good the great green earth to roam,
Where sights of awe the soul inspire;
But oh, it’s best, the coming home,
The crackle of one’s own hearth-fire!
You’ve hob-nobbed with the solemn Past;
You’ve seen the pageantry of kings;
Yet oh, how sweet to gain at last
The peace and rest of Little Things!

Perhaps you’re counted with the Great;
You strain and strive with mighty men;
Your hand is on the helm of State;
Colossus-like you stride . . . and then
There comes a pause, a shining hour,
A dog that leaps, a hand that clings:
O Titan, turn from pomp and power;
Give all your heart to Little Things.

Go couch you childwise in the grass,
Believing it’s some jungle strange,
Where mighty monsters peer and pass,
Where beetles roam and spiders range.
‘Mid gloom and gleam of leaf and blade,
What dragons rasp their painted wings!
O magic world of shine and shade!
O beauty land of Little Things!

I sometimes wonder, after all,
Amid this tangled web of fate,
If what is great may not be small,
And what is small may not be great.
So wondering I go my way,
Yet in my heart contentment sings . . .
O may I ever see, I pray,
God’s grace and love in Little Things.

So give to me, I only beg,
A little roof to call my own,
A little cider in the keg,
A little meat upon the bone;
A little garden by the sea,
A little boat that dips and swings . . .
Take wealth, take fame, but leave to me,

2. O Lord of Life, just Little Things

       by Meena Alexander

The periodic pleasure
of small happenings
is upon us—
behind the stalls
at the farmer’s market
snow glinting in heaps,
a cardinal its chest
puffed out, bloodshod
above the piles of awnings,
passion’s proclivities;
you picking up a sweet potato
turning to me  ‘This too?’—
query of tenderness
under the blown red wing.
Remember the brazen world?
Let’s find a room
with a window onto elms
strung with sunlight,
a cafe with polished cups,
darling coffee they call it,
may our bed be stoked
with fresh cut rosemary
and glinting thyme,
all herbs in due season
tucked under wild sheets:
fit for the conjugation of joy.

3. Joy

       by Lord Buddha

Let us live in joy, not hating those who hate us.
Among those who hate us, we live free of hate.
Let us live in joy,
free from disease among those who are diseased.
Among those who are diseased, let us live free of disease.
Let us live in joy, free from greed among the greedy.
Among those who are greedy, we live free of greed.
Let us live in joy, though we possess nothing.
Let us live feeding on joy, like the bright gods.
Victory breeds hate, for the conquered is unhappy.
Whoever has given up victory and defeat
is content and lives joyfully.
There is no fire like lust, no misfortune like hate;
there is no pain like this body;
there is no joy higher than peace.
Craving is the worst disease;
disharmony is the greatest sorrow.
The one who knows this truly
knows that nirvana is the highest bliss.
Health is the greatest gift;
contentment is the greatest wealth;
trusting is the best relationship;
nirvana is the highest joy.
Whoever has tasted the sweetness
of solitude and tranquillity
becomes free from fear and sin
while drinking the sweetness of the truth.
The sight of the noble is good;
to live with them is always joyful.
Whoever does not see fools will always be happy.
Whoever associates with fools suffers a long time.
Being with fools, as with an enemy, is always painful.
Being with the wise, like meeting with family, is joyful.
Therefore, one should follow the wise, the intelligent,
the learned, the patient, the dutiful, the noble;
one should follow the good and wise,
as the moon follows the path of the stars.

4. Born to Love Joy, But Dying to Keep It Alive

       by Bill Darrah

People are born to live life to the fullest extent of joy possible.
That is why life is such an amazing gift because children rarely
have to be taught how to thoroughly enjoy their lives.

Joyfulness is so naturally soothing to those people who seem to dread aging so as people age early in life, most everyone enjoys their incredibly energetic

Youthfulness to such a highly fulfilling degree of peace and gratitude aging is
never a burdensome issue like it is later in life when all the joy a person has experienced seems to require some sort of replacement for the reality of a
Person’s aging

Problems the person can’t seem to slow down or reverse anymore with a
Proper diet, medicine, and as much exercise as the body can handle.
Isn’t it ironically fascinating how some bodies can age slowly while other bodies age much faster than they should?

With that in mind, shouldn’t a person’s joyfulness to live be just as permanently experienced as aging always is to allow at least the faith believing possibility that joy should endure throughout ALL the person’s life regardless of how much more life the person has been allowed to live?

For those people who believe in God as wholeheartedly as they claim to
Believe and live by those valuable standards of a redeeming salvation
In an eternity of PURE joyfulness with more peace than Godly people
Will ever be able to experience in their lives on Earth, the joy of living should never leave a person’s mind or heart. in my humble opinion,

God intended life to be lived like this: highly energetic early in life to help ensure joy of the maximum satisfaction of the youthfulness for exercising the body to the most potential gratitude for a person’s healthy life regardless of how great the person’s health really is, so that the only true feeling the person wants

And needs to feel is joy when the body no longer physically agrees to prolong the feeling of joy for the person to enjoy a longer life.

5. You Are Joy Poem

       by Michael P. Mcparland

You are pure joy to me,
you bring such pure light with you
that I feel a brightness, easiness,
and lightness within my soul whenever I look at you.
You are my northern star and I feel
such epic joy whenever I see
or talk to you my sweet Angel dove.

You are pure joy in how you look at me,
you are pure joy with a smile
and eyes so very bright and pure.
You are pure joy in a loving
heart and soul so big and giving in every way.
You are pure joy and I adore you so.
You are pure joy and each passing day
I love you more and more.

You are pure joy and light
that you bring such hope into my life.
You get me through the darkest days
and you make me smile and laugh
in so many special ways.
You are pure joy and I want to be
with you for all eternity.
My heart melts in adoration
and pure joy for you.
I want to hold you close and thank you
for all you do in so many ways there are.

I pray I bring as much hope and joy to you.
I pray that I give a lightness and easiness
within you too.
I want to give you everything there is
and I want to return to you in full
through service all the things you do for me.
I admire, respect, and adore you dear.
I want to give you joy just like you give me dear.
I want to make you smile and laugh as well.

You are true joy to me in full.
I want to show you how much you mean to me.
I love you deep and I love you through,
I love you for being you.
You give me joy in such enormous ways
and I want to thank you through this life
and into the next.
I love you so very much and want to
give you joy so very much.
You are pure joy and that’s the truth.
Kira you are so amazing and a trusted love.

6. In The Joy of The Wedding Day Poem

       by Pierre Rausch

You are one lucky girl
It must be pretty special
Could be so stunning
Wedding gown, husband, priest

She’d forget the rings
I’m just kidding
She had the silver ring
With a beautiful stone in the middle of it

In the joy of the wedding day
In the joy of the wedding day
Watch carefully from the sidelines
In the joy of the wedding day
In the joy of the wedding day
In the joy of the wedding day
Watch carefully from the sidelines
In the joy of the wedding day

I’ve got a present for the engaged couple
The bridges get all dressed up
Once we see the ballroom and talk
Stay the night and have a go at everything

In the joy of the wedding day
In the joy of the wedding day
Watch carefully from the sidelines
In the joy of the wedding day
In the joy of the wedding day
In the joy of the wedding day
Watch carefully from the sidelines
In the joy of the wedding day

So many brides-to-be
So many brides-to-be

7. Pitcairn’s Island

      by William Cullen Bryant

Come, take our boy, and we will go
Before our cabin door;
The winds shall bring us, as they blow,
The murmurs of the shore;
And we will kiss his young blue eyes,
And I will sing him, as he lies,
Songs that were made of yore:
I’ll sing, in his delighted ear,
The island lays thou lov’st to hear.

And thou, while stammering I repeat,
Thy country’s tongue shalt teach;
‘Tis not so soft, but far more sweet,
Than my own native speech:
For thou no other tongue didst know,
When, scarcely twenty moons ago,
Upon Tahete’s beach,
Thou cam’st to woo me to be thine,
With many a speaking look and sign.

I knew thy meaning–thou didst praise
My eyes, my locks of jet;
Ah! well for me they won thy gaze,–
But thine were fairer yet!

I’m glad to see my infant wear
Thy soft blue eyes and sunny hair,
And when my sight is met
By his white brow and blooming cheek,
I feel a joy I cannot speak.

Come talk of Europe’s maids with me,
Whose necks and cheeks, they tell,
Outshine the beauty of the sea,
White foam and crimson shell.
I’ll shape like theirs my simple dress,
And bind like them each jetty tress.
A sight to please thee well:
And for my dusky brow will braid
A bonnet like an English maid.

Come, for the soft low sunlight calls,
We lose the pleasant hours;
‘Tis lovelier than these cottage walls,–
That seat among the flowers.
And I will learn of thee a prayer,
To Him, who gave a home so fair,
A lot so blessed as ours–
The God who made, for thee and me,

Poems about Joy That Rhyme

Poems about joy with rhyme adds a musical quality to the already uplifting world of happiness. Their playful use of sound and rhythm makes them both catchy and memorable.

1. Joy And Sorrow

       by James G. Brooks

Joy kneels, at morning’s rosy prime,
In worship to the rising sun;
But Sorrow loves the calmer time,
When the day-god his course hath run:
When Night is in her shadowy car,
Pale Sorrow wakes while Joy doth sleep;
And, guided by the evening star,
She wanders forth to muse and weep.
Joy loves to cull the summer flower,
And wreath it round his happy brow;
But when the dark autumnal hour
Hath laid the leaf and blossom low;
When the frail bud hath lost its worth,
And Joy hath dash’d it from his crest,
Then Sorrow takes it from the earth,
To wither on her wither’d breast.

2. Joy

       by Charles Swain

Earth her summer wealth is bringing,
Every bough is, like a lyre,
Answering to the wind’s low singing—
Sweet as bells from Fancy’s spire!
Milder light is on the fountain,
Softer bloom upon the flower;
Joy comes dancing down the mountain,
Joy with roses wreathes the hour.
See the stars in golden dances
O’er the fields of azure glide;
See, the ocean soft advances—
Sparkling light with fairy tide:
Flowers with fond and gentle motion,
Leaves with grace no storms annoy;
All around—earth, heaven, and ocean—
Feel the influence of Joy!

3. Joy

       by Georgia Douglas Johnson

There’s a soft rosy glow o’er the whole world to-day,
There’s a freshness and fragrance that trembles in May,
There’s a lilt in the music that vibrates and thrills
From the uttermost glades to the tops of the hills.
Oh! I am so happy, my heart is so light,
The shades and the shadows have vanished from sight,
This wild pulsing gladness throbs like a sweet pain—
O soul of me, drink, ere night falleth again!

4. Away, Sad Voices

       by Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts

Away, sad voices, telling
Of old, forgotten pain!
My heart, at grief rebelling,
To joy returns again.
My life, at tears protesting,
To long delight returns,
Where, close of all my questing,
Her dear eyes love discerns.

5. Lost Joy

       by Emily Dickinson

I had a daily bliss
I half indifferent viewed,
Till sudden I perceived it stir, —
It grew as I pursued,
Till when, around a crag,
It wasted from my sight,
Enlarged beyond my utmost scope,
I learned its sweetness right.

6. Why I Smile

       by Kate Slaughter McKinney

I smile because the world is fair;
Because the sky is blue.
Because I find, no matter where
I go, a friend that’s true.
I smile because the earth is green,
The sun so near and bright,
Because the days that o’er us lean
Are full of warmth and light.
I smile as past the yards I go,
Though strange and new the place,
The violets seem my step to know,
And look up in my face.
I smile to hear the robin’s note.
He comes so newly dressed,
A love song throbbing in his throat,
A rose pinned on his breast.
And so the truth I’ll not disown,
Because the spring is nigh;
My heart has somewhat better grown,
And I forget to sigh.

7. Little Black Boy

       by William Blake

 My mother bore me in the southern wild,
 And I am black, but oh my soul is white!
 White as an angel is the English child,
 But I am black, as if bereaved of light.
 
 My mother taught me underneath a tree,
 And, sitting down before the heat of day,
 She took me on her lap and kissed me,
 And, pointed to the east, began to say:
 
 “Look on the rising sun: there God does live,
 And gives His light, and gives His heat away,
 And flowers and trees and beasts and men receive
 Comfort in morning, joy in the noonday.
 
 “And we are put on earth a little space,
 That we may learn to bear the beams of love
 And these black bodies and this sunburnt face
 Is but a cloud, and like a shady grove.
 
 “For when our souls have learn’d the heat to bear,
 The cloud will vanish, we shall hear His voice,
 Saying, ‘Come out from the grove, my love and care
 And round my golden tent like lambs rejoice’,”
 
 Thus did my mother say, and kissed me;
 And thus I say to little English boy.
 When I from black and he from white cloud free,
 And round the tent of God like lambs we joy
 
 I’ll shade him from the heat till he can bear
 to lean in joy upon our Father’s knee;
 And then I’ll stand and stroke his silver hair,

8. Joy And Pleasure

       by William Henry Davies

Now, joy is born of parents poor,
And pleasure of our richer kind;
Though pleasure’s free, she cannot sing
As sweet a song as joy confined.

Pleasure’s a Moth, that sleeps by day
And dances by false glare at night;
But Joy’s a Butterfly, that loves
To spread its wings in Nature’s light.

Joy’s like a Bee that gently sucks
Away on blossoms its sweet hour;
But pleasure’s like a greedy Wasp,
That plums and cherries would devour.

Joy’s like a Lark that lives alone,
Whose ties are very strong, though few;
But Pleasure like a Cuckoo roams,
Makes much acquaintance, no friends true.

Joy from her heart doth sing at home,
With little care if others hear;
But pleasure then is cold and dumb,
And sings and laughs with strangers near.

Poems about Joy And Happiness

Poems about joy and happiness celebrate the moments of pure joy and delight that make life worth living. They inspire gratitude, uplift the spirit, and remind us of the beauty in the world.

1. The Brown Thrush

       by Lucy Larcom

There’s a merry brown thrush sitting up in a tree;
“He’s singing to me! he’s singing to me!”
And what does he say, little girl, little boy?
“Oh, the world’s running over with joy!
Don’t You hear? Don’t you see?
Hush! look! in my tree
I’m as happy as happy can be!”
And the brown thrush keeps singing, “A nest do you see,
And five eggs hid by me in the juniper tree?
Don’t meddle! don’t touch! little girl, little boy,
Or the world will lose some of its joy!
Now I’m glad! now I’m free!
And I always shall be,
If you never bring sorrow to me.”
So the merry brown thrush sings away in the tree,
To you and to me, to you and to me;
And he sings all the day, little girl, little boy,
“Oh, the world’s running over with joy!
But long it won’t be,
Don’t you know? Don’t you see?
Unless we’re as good as can be.”

2. Morning

       by Mary Bartol

Above the hills a saffron glow—
The heavenly azure deepens higher—
While through dark pines, gleams long and low
A floating lake of fire!
Within the grove fresh winds awake,
A little gush of song is heard,
And every plumy leaf of brake
By breezy sighs is stirred.
One moment’s chant—a hush profound—
Soft songs and ferny dances cease;
To silence dies the murmuring sound,
And motion glides to peace.
The dawn has come with ecstasy,
And I, a part of her and clay,
Breathe in the joy she giveth me,
And put my care away.

3. The Fountain Is So Happy

       by Annette Wynne

The fountain is so happy.
The fountain is so glad,
You cannot make it sorry
You cannot make it sad.
It loves the sunshine and the air,
It loves to spring and dart,
But all the fountain’s joyousness
Begins inside its heart.
It bubbles up with happiness,
It sparkles all day through,
It bubbles and flows over
And shares its joy with you.

4. Inner Joy

       by Sri Chinmoy

True inner joy is self–created.
It does not depend on outer circumstances.
A river is flowing in and through you carrying the message of joy.
This divine joy is the sole purpose of life.

5. Hill Rolling

       by Andrew Taylor

I kind of exploded inside,
and joy shot out of me.
I began my roll down the grassy hill.
I bent my knees up small, took a deep breath
and I was off.
My arms shot out sideways.
I gathered speed.
My eyes squinted.
Sky and grass, dazzle and dark.
I went on forever,
My arms were covered with dents,
holes, squashed grass.
Before I knew it I was at the bottom.
The game was over.
The door of the classroom closed behind me.
I can small chalk dust, and hear the voice of teachers,
to make me forget my hill

6. Happiness (Reconsidered)

       by Judith Viorst

Happiness
Is a clean bill of health from the doctor,
And the kids shouldn’t move back home for
more than a year,
And not being audited, overdrawn, in Wilkes-Barre,
in a lawsuit or in traction.

Happiness
Is falling asleep without Valium,
And having two breasts to put in my brassiere,
And not (yet) needing to get my blood pressure lowered,
my eyelids raised or a second opinion.

And on Saturday nights
When my husband and I have rented
Something with Fred Astaire for the VCR,
And we’re sitting around in our robes discussing,
The state of the world, back exercises, our Keoghs,
And whether to fix the transmission or buy a new car,
And we’re eating a pint of rum-raisin ice cream
on the grounds that
Tomorrow we’re starting a diet of fish, fruit and grain,
And my dad’s in Miami dating a very nice widow,
And no one we love is in serious trouble or pain,
And our bringing-up-baby days are far behind us,
But our senior-citizen days have not begun,
It’s not what I called happiness
When I was twenty-one,
But it’s turning out to be
What happiness is.

7. A Birthday

       by Christina Rossetti

My heart is like a singing bird
Whose nest is in a water’d shoot;
My heart is like an apple-tree
Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit;
My heart is like a rainbow shell
That paddles in a halcyon sea;
My heart is gladder than all these
Because my love is come to me.
Raise me a dais of silk and down;
Hang it with vair and purple dyes;
Carve it in doves and pomegranates,
And peacocks with a hundred eyes;
Work it in gold and silver grapes,
In leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys;
Because the birthday of my life
Is come, my love is come to me

Poems about Joy And Hope

Poems about joy and hope offer a glimpse into a brighter future, inspiring optimism and perseverance in the face of adversity. They celebrate the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of hope to guide us forward.

1. Finding Hope

        by Patricia A Fleming 

I’ve always viewed life from the side lines,
Just watching it passing me by.
In the past, too afraid to just let go and live,
And lately too tired to try.

I’ve envied the people around me
So invested in living each day,
While I spent my time hiding out from the world
And searching for ways to escape.

For most of my life I truly believed
I was here to help somebody else,
But now it’s so clear it was just an excuse.
To avoid living life for myself.

It’s sad that our lives and the pain we endure
Can weaken our strength to move on,
But if we get lost in the scars of our past,
Without knowing our lives will be gone.

It’s true, people are disappointing,
They can turn in the blink of an eye,
But we can’t avoid hurting each other,
When we all want a chance at this life.

But there’s something I’ve learned through the wisdom of age,
A truth about all of our lives,
And that is no matter what path we each take,
In the end, we just want to survive.

So the time has now come to conquer my fears
And to stand up and face a new day.
Let the hurts of my past wash away with my tears
And stop letting my life slip away.

2. This, Too, Will Pass

       by Grace Noll Crowell 

This, too, will pass.
O heart, say it over and over,
Out of your deepest sorrow,
out of your deepest grief,
No hurt can last forever–
Perhaps tomorrow will bring relief.

This, too, will pass.
It will spend itself–
Its fury will die as the wind dies down
with the setting sun;
Assuaged and calm, you will rest again,
Forgetting a thing that is done.

Repeat it again and again,
O heart, for your comfort;
This, too, will pass
as surely as passed before
The old forgotten pain, and the other sorrows
That once you bore.

As certain as stars at night,
or dawn after darkness,
Inherent as the lift of the blowing grass,
Whatever your despair or your frustration–
This, too, will pass.

3. Now You’ve Recovered

       by Charles A Cino

When you recover, what will you do?
When you recover, will you still be you?
Will you be stronger, will you be new,
When you recover from what you’ve been through?

Can life get better than it was before?
Will you realize your dreams and improve your score?
Will people still remember your name,
Or will they forget you because they’re ashamed?

Life in recovery may not be the same.
The rules may have changed in this brand new game.
You can pick up the pieces and make a new start,
And courage and hope keep you from falling apart.

The world all around you seems different and changed.
Things that once were now seem out of range,
But you can recapture your life and fulfill
The dreams that were lost when you took ill.

The journey to wellness takes time and is long,
And those that get well are exceptionally strong.
For depression can kill, but you have survived.
Your goal to recover has kept you alive.

Now you’re recovered, what will you do?
You suffered and conquered and saw it through.
Back from the black and abyss of despair,
It is time to move on; it is time to care.

4. As Is Life

       by Albi Demeza

It’s strange the things you remember
And the things you seem to forget.
It’s a jamboree of all sorts,
A patchwork of joys and regrets.

You remember the days when you mess up,
The days when sadness brings tears,
But you forget all those small happy moments
When it’s laughter that brings you to tears.

If only we could be happy forever,
To look forward, not think of the past,
Our lives would be full of elation,
With sadness a ghost of the past.

5. Perfect

        by Shianne 

My heart flows through this icy land.
Come and take my lonely hand.
Show me how to make things right.
Cry these tears no more tonight.

Sing this sorrowful song into the air.
Try to live without a care.
Look up at the stars in the sky.
Dry those tears from your eye.

Lift your head, bring your smiles back.
Paint your world with color instead of black.
Undo your lies, make them true.
Don’t let your anger take over you.

Open your eyes, what do you see?
There’s so many things that you could be
If instead of thinking, you actually tried
And forgot about the tears you cried.

You could be living in a world of hope
And letting go, learning how to cope.
With everything life throws your way
And living your fullest every day.

You can force the shadows back to the dark.
Leave without a single scratch or mark.
You can learn to live without your pain,
Without putting yourself through this strain.

You can learn all this if you only realize
It only matters what perfect is in your eyes.

6. My Repossessed Hope

       by Evangeline King 

Gasping for air
I cling, I cling
to whatever’s left
to anything

Walls closing in
room spins, room spins
Getting so dizzy
this ride needs to end

Fist hammers down
the pain, the pain
Sunshine is gone
There’s nothing but rain

Fall to my knees
I cave, I cave
Tide swept me up
now I’m lost in the waves

Too tired to fight
Can’t cope, can’t cope
No way to regain
my repossessed hope

7. In Good Time…

       by Abimbola T. Alabi 

Life can seem an endless maze,
The twists and turns, lulls and delays,
But things always fall into place…
In good time.

Friends will sometimes go away.
Some may disappoint or others betray,
But new ones will come to stay…
In good time.

The hurt of getting something wrong,
And the lesson it often brings along
Are there, you see, to make you strong…
In good time.

Kindness freely given away,
Unnoticed now, will somehow find its way
Back to you and come to stay…
In good time.

Efforts seem not to pay to plan?
Forge on friend, doing the best you can.
Fortune will find the deserving man…
In good time.

Life can be tough, there’s no doubt,
But hope is the thing we can’t do without.
Right things with joy will come about…
In good time

8. Hope” is The Thing With Feathers

       by Emily Dickinson 

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –

I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.

9. Young Fellow My Lad

       by Robert William Service

“Where are you going, Young Fellow My Lad,
On this glittering morn of May?”
“I’m going to join the Colours, Dad;
They’re looking for men, they say.”
“But you’re only a boy, Young Fellow My Lad;
You aren’t obliged to go.”
“I’m seventeen and a quarter, Dad,
And ever so strong, you know.”

“So you’re off to France, Young Fellow My Lad,
And you’re looking so fit and bright.”
“I’m terribly sorry to leave you, Dad,
But I feel that I’m doing right.”
“God bless you and keep you, Young Fellow My Lad,
You’re all of my life, you know.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll soon be back, dear Dad,
And I’m awfully proud to go.”

“Why don’t you write, Young Fellow My Lad?
I watch for the post each day;
And I miss you so, and I’m awfully sad,
And it’s months since you went away.
And I’ve had the fire in the parlour lit,
And I’m keeping it burning bright
Till my boy comes home; and here I sit
Into the quiet night.

“What is the matter, Young Fellow My Lad?
No letter again to-day.
Why did the postman look so sad,
And sigh as he turned away?
I hear them tell that we’ve gained new ground,
But a terrible price we’ve paid:
God grant, my boy, that you’re safe and sound;
But oh I’m afraid, afraid.”

“They’ve told me the truth, Young Fellow My Lad:
You’ll never come back again:
(Oh God! the dreams and the dreams I’ve had,
and the hopes I’ve nursed in vain!)
For you passed in the night, Young Fellow My Lad,
And you proved in the cruel test
Of the screaming shell and the battle hell
That my boy was one of the best.
“So you’ll live, you’ll live, Young Fellow My Lad,
in the gleam of the evening star,
In the wood-note wild and the laugh of the child,
in all sweet things that are.
And you’ll never die, my wonderful boy,
While life is noble and true;
For all our beauty and hope and joy

Poems about Joy by Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson’s poems about joy are a testament to her unique vision of the world. Her lyrical and introspective works celebrate the small moments of beauty and wonder that make life worthwhile.

1. T is So Much Joy

       by Emily Dickinson

T IS so much joy! ’T is so much joy!
If I should fail, what poverty!
And yet, as poor as I
Have ventured all upon a throw;
Have gained! Yes! Hesitated so
This side the victory!
Life is but life, and death but death!
Bliss is but bliss, and breath but breath!
And if, indeed, I fail,
At least to know the worst is sweet.
Defeat means nothing but defeat,
No drearier can prevail!
And if I gain,—oh, gun at sea,
Oh, bells that in the steeples be,
At first repeat it slow!
For heaven is a different thing
Conjectured, and waked sudden in,
And might o’erwhelm me so!

2. The Test

       by Emily Dickinson

I can wade grief,
Whole pools of it, —
I’m used to that.
But the least push of joy
Breaks up my feet,
And I tip — drunken.
Let no pebble smile,
‘T was the new liquor, —
That was all!
Power is only pain,
Stranded, through discipline,
Till weights will hang.
Give balm to giants,
And they’ll wilt, like men.
Give Himmaleh, —
They’ll carry him!

3. Joy to Have Merited The Pain

       by Emily Dickinson

Joy to have merited the Pain—
To merit the Release—
Joy to have perished every step—
To Compass Paradise—

Pardon—to look upon thy face—
With these old fashioned Eyes—
Better than new—could be—for that—
Though bought in Paradise—

Because they looked on thee before—
And thou hast looked on them—
Prove Me—My Hazel Witnesses
The features are the same—

So fleet thou wert, when present—
So infinite—when gone—
An Orient’s Apparition—
Remanded of the Morn—

The Height I recollect—
‘Twas even with the Hills—
The Depth upon my Soul was notched—
As Floods—on Whites of Wheels—

To Haunt—till Time have dropped
His last Decade away,
And Haunting actualize—to last

4. His Voice Decrepit Was With Joy

       by Emily Dickinson

His voice decrepit was with Joy –
Her words did totter so
How old the News of Love must be
To make Lips elderly
That purled a moment since with Glee –
Is it Delight or Woe –
Or Terror – that do decorate
This livid interview –

5. Before The Ice Is in The Pools

       by Emily Dickinson 

Before the ice is in the pools—
Before the skaters go,
Or any check at nightfall
Is tarnished by the snow—

Before the fields have finished,
Before the Christmas tree,
Wonder upon wonder
Will arrive to me!

What we touch the hems of
On a summer’s day—
What is only walking
Just a bridge away—

That which sings so—speaks so—
When there’s no one here—
Will the frock I wept in
Answer me to wear?

6. There Is Another Sky

       by Emily Dickinson 

There is another sky,
Ever serene and fair,
And there is another sunshine,
Though it be darkness there;
Never mind faded forests, Austin,
Never mind silent fields –
Here is a little forest,
Whose leaf is ever green;
Here is a brighter garden,
Where not a frost has been;
In its unfading flowers
I hear the bright bee hum:
Prithee, my brother,
Into my garden come!

7. Joy in Death

       by Emily Dickinson

If tolling bell I ask the cause.
‘A soul has gone to God,’
I’m answered in a lonesome tone;
Is heaven then so sad?
That bells should joyful ring to tell
A soul had gone to heaven,
Would seem to me the proper way
A good news should be given.

Poems about Joy by Mary Oliver

Mary Oliver’s poems about joy evoke a sense of awe and reverence for the natural world. Her lyrical and vivid works celebrate the beauty and wonder of life, inspiring gratitude and wonder in readers.

1. Don’t Hesitate

       by Mary Oliver

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the
case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.

2. Joy Is Not Made to Be A Crumb

       by Mary Oliver

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate.
Give in to it.
There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be.
We are not wise, and not very often kind.
And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left.
Perhaps this is its way of fighting back,
that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world.
It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins.
Anyway, that’s often the case.
Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty.
Joy is not made to be a crumb.

3. Mindful

       by Mary Oliver

Every day
I see or hear
something
that more or less
kills me
with delight,
that leaves me
like a needle
in the haystack
of light.

4. Starlings in Winter

       by Mary Oliver

but with stars in their black feathers,
they spring from the telephone wire
and instantly
they are acrobats
in the freezing wind.
And now, in the theater of air,
they swing over buildings,
dipping and rising;
they float like one stippled star
that opens,
becomes for a moment fragmented,
then closes again;
and you watch
and you try
but you simply can’t imagine
how they do it
with no articulated instruction, no pause,
only the silent confirmation
that they are this notable thing,
this wheel of many parts, that can rise and spin
over and over again,
full of gorgeous life.
Ah, world, what lessons you prepare for us,
even in the leafless winter,
even in the ashy city.
I am thinking now
of grief, and of getting past it;
I feel my boots
trying to leave the ground,
I feel my heart
pumping hard. I want
to think again of dangerous and noble things.
I want to be light and frolicsome.
I want to be improbable beautiful and afraid of nothing,
as though I had wings.

5. Dogfish

       by Mary Oliver

Some kind of relaxed and beautiful thing
kept flickering in with the tide
and looking around.
Black as a fisherman’s boot,
with a white belly.
If you asked for a picture I would have to draw a smile
under the perfectly round eyes and above the chin,
which was rough
as a thousand sharpened nails.
And you know
what a smile means,
don’t you?

I wanted the past to go away, I wanted
to leave it, like another country; I wanted
my life to close, and open
like a hinge, like a wing, like the part of the song
where it falls
down over the rocks: an explosion, a discovery;
I wanted
to hurry into the work of my life; I wanted to know,
whoever I was, I was
alive
for a little while.

It was evening, and no longer summer.
Three small fish, I don’t know what they were,
huddled in the highest ripples
as it came swimming in again, effortless, the whole body
one gesture, one black sleeve
that could fit easily around
the bodies of three small fish.

Also I wanted
to be able to love. And we all know
how that one goes,
don’t we?
Slowly

the dogfish tore open the soft basins of water.

You don’t want to hear the story
of my life, and anyway
I don’t want to tell it, I want to listen
to the enormous waterfalls of the sun.
And anyway it’s the same old story..
a few people just trying,
one way or another,
to survive.
Mostly, I want to be kind.
And nobody, of course, is kind,
or mean,
for a simple reason.
And nobody gets out of it, having to
swim through the fires to stay in
this world.

And look! look! look! I think those little fish
better wake up and dash themselves away
from the hopeless future that is
bulging toward them.

And probably,
if they don’t waste time
looking for an easier world,
they can do it.

6. The Summer Day

       by Mary Oliver

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

Poems about Joy of Infants

These infant joy poems celebrate the wonder and innocence of new life. They capture the pure and unadulterated happiness of babies and inspire a sense of hope and renewal.

1. Baby Boy

       by Anonymous

Footballs and hockey sticks scattered on the floor
Bikes, bats, and BB guns left by the door
A brand new little blue-wrapped bundle of joy
Congratulations – it’s a boy!

2. Sunshine And Rainbows

       by Anonymous 

If I had known ahead of time
That it would be like this
I doubt I would have agreed to it.
If I had known how beautiful she would be,
How powerless it would feel to hold her in my arms
And know I cannot protect her from everything
From pain and heartbreak and sunburns
I never would have signed up for this.
Holding her, yes.
I could hold her forever
Suspended like one of the crystal balls
She is one day going to want to hang in her bedroom, by the east window
Which gets the best sun
So, she can spin it and watch the rainbows chase each other across her ceiling.
She will want to do this
And I will let her
Because the sunlight and its rainbows are beautiful
But do not ask me to tell her the cost of her rainbows
The price of it in sunburned shoulders and broken hearts
I cannot bring myself to do it.

3. Preparations

       by Anonymous

We have been shopping for new furnishings
Buying blankets and onesies and other soft pretty things
Painting the room at the end of the hall
Waiting anxiously for doctors and midwives to call
Maybe it was magic, or maybe the stork
But bring out the champagne, and pop out the cork
What used to be two will soon become three
In a few months from now, we are having a baby!

4. The First Smile

       by Anonymous

From the first time I saw you smile,
I knew everything would be different;
Our brand new and beloved child
Who I would not trade for a mint.
I love every sound I hear –
Each burble, each giggle, each cry.
I will love you every day, my dear,
Until the day I die.

5. Grandchild

       by Penny Brown

New life, a little baby, a little star,
The world awaits you near and far
With guidance and loving care
That will keep you safe and happy there.

There’s family to meet,
Pets and friends to greet.
A long path with us you’ll share,
We’ll always be happy to meet you there.

Life experiences will soon unfold,
Stories now waiting to be told.
Adventures, discoveries, obstacles and dreams
All join to form your self-esteem.

Of yourself, have no fears.
Enjoy each day over the years.
Be proud of who you are, no fuss,
A unique little person loved by all of us.

6. A Lullaby, Sweet Dreams

       by Kimberly L. Brennan-Smith

Sweet dreams my darling, the day is done.
The moon is here to say goodnight to the sun.

Gather your blankets and climb into bed.
Close your eyes and lay down your head.

Rest for now with peaceful dreams,
Of twinkling stars and shining moon beams.

Sweet dreams my darling, sweet dreams my love,
Sweet dreams my precious gift from above.

7. My House Creaks in The Rain 

       by Sara Lewis Holmes

My house creaks in the rain,
a porch-skirted grandmother
shifting her lap.
Sing to me, Grandmother.
Comfort me, house.
You are used to
the nattering of raindrops,
used to their prickly breath,
used to cold knees
as they crawl down
your neck to your breast.
Sing to me, Grandmother.
Comfort me, house.
My nipples are cracked
from milk wetness.
My womb shudders
in sharp gusts. I’m rocked
by this baby, this raw-fisted
baby, flooded
by this baby who clings
like rain to the eaves
of my chest.
Grandmother!
House!

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, poems about joy offer us a window into the beauty and wonder of the world around us.

Whether through the clever wordplay of funny poems, the vivid imagery of long poems, or the musical quality of rhyming poems, these works of art remind us to cherish and celebrate the moments of happiness that enrich our lives.

Emily Dickinson and Mary Oliver, among others, offer unique perspectives on joy, while poems for joy about infants and love inspire a sense of hope and renewal.

So let us embrace the joy that surrounds us, and carry its light forward with us on our journey through life. Hope you enjoyed these joy poems!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *