a little more joy

What the world needs right now:

the rawness and splendor of the overlook. 

that split moment of absolute surrender when you look over the edge into the depths below. 

the feel of your fingerprints dancing in my palm. 

the vibration of romantic tension. 

the putter of small droplets of clouds on a tin roof. 

the unmistakable crackle of smoke popping above a logged fire. 

the childlike intimacy of your mother tucking your hair behind your ear, that somehow makes you feel more exposed but more safe than you could ever explain. 

the inflections of sound in the native tongue of the country you’ve always wanted to visit. 

the must of thick summer days that transforms into anticipatory nights. 

the velvet of rose petals against your nose and the inhale of fresh, stark beauty in your lungs. 

the exhale of freedom, when the only logical physical response is to breathe deep and throw your arms wide.

the twitch of his nose as you watch your puppy slumber. 

the click of the key as you hit the period on the last sentence of your work. 

the debilitating urge to squeeze the cuteness out of their essence only so you can hold it closer.

the promise you make to this time predict when the firefly will blink next and the joy in always being wrong.

the mundane elegance of her eyelash flutter. 

the satisfactory collapse of mind and body into bed at the end of the day. 

the scratch of sand between your naked toes. 

the disarming warmth of a hug.

the perfect trapping of air pockets between battered hands. 

the almost inconceivable curvature of a lip, forming that famous upward facing crescent. 

the sound of new creases in old books.

the crisp inhale of icicles as snow blankets the earth. 

the peeling nature of bark on a birch tree.

the sweet blast of horns amidst the fog of the cityscape. 

the twinkle of lights daring to push out against the skyline. 

the sweeping breeze of autumn, the only thing that seems to be the perfect temperature. 

the intoxicating scent of mom’s pot hitting the blacktop of the stove. 

the tiny inaudible giggle of laughter as she hovers her hand over her mouth. 

the eternal moment that passes between the musicians last chord and your first breath. 

the wisps of grass pulling your legs down into the earth. 

the reassurance of spreading your fingers apart and feeling the air twirl around them as the muscles stretch. 

the reclasping of water molecules over your head as you submerge.

the feeling of wholeness awarded only by new understanding. 

the dew of rain on chalked sidewalks.

the spark of unfiltered joy in the eyes of babes at the tearing of folded paper on boxes. 

the satisfying slick of polish on buffed nails. 

the unexplainable connection to minds past as fingers trace over dried ink.

the confident tune of birds perched just outside the window. 

the pressing of ears to chests searching for the drum of a heartbeat. 

the thoughtfulness of every home-baked cookie. 

the dim glow of the old house lamp whose bulb has never been changed.

the comforting succinctness of a stable haiku. 

the briefest glimpse of euphoria before your handstand falls from suspension. 

the moments when we remember why life is worth living. 

Author’s note: In the midst of Covid19, the sole purpose of this post is to bring a little bit more joy to the world. Because the world could always use a little more joy.