Happiness, o, elusive happiness,
How I wish myself, its coziness
The pursuit of this subtle quality,
For a country’s constitution, a vanity.
Whether the pursuit will remain just pursuit,
No thinker dare state, whether Hindu or Jesuit.
When you receive, beyond your expectation,
You begin to experience, a momentary elation
But the ratio of expectation and attainment,
Cannot keep increasing, every moment.
So your happiness levels tend to remain static
Fluctuating, but flattening, in a process- automatic.
If your desires remain low, not unreasonably raised,
You can avoid disappointments, a fact Buddha realized.
But this mental gymnastics seems too fantastic,
And for us ordinary beings, not realistic.
Millions of mortals run, panting, mindlessly,
After riches and power, on a road stretching endlessly.
All of them, engaged in a battle, moronic,
Running their hearts out, on a treadmill, hedonic.
But if you give up the race and face your maker,
He may unlock the gates, and give you the key for.
If you decide you are satisfied, you may remain so
Service to others may help the process also.
Whatever your caste, colour or nationality,
the secret of happiness lies in personality.