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Author's Notes: This is a "Tanka" or a Japanese verse form write on the subject of "Joy." I originally wrote this Tanka on February 17, 2015 for publication in my new book. I wrote "Joy" as the counterbalance to the message of an earlier Tanka entitled "Despair," that I wrote on 16 February. Whereas the focus of "Despair" was on negation and surrender, in comparison, I made "Joy" a clarion call for both happiness and one's destiny. After writing both of these Tanka poems, my conclusions are: (1) "Joy" is the better choice for everyone in life to ensure that each of us has a chance of having a meaningful existence; and (2) "Despair" is a one-way ticket to personal destruction and oblivion, which is to be avoided at all costs. (Gary Bateman - May 8, 2015) (Tanka)
Categories: allegory, celebration, dream, feelings, happiness, joy, and passion.
Syllable Grouping: 5-7-5-7-7 = 31 Syllables; Total Lines (Verses) = 5; Total Words = 19.
("How Many Syllables Counter" was used for syllable confirmation for both automated and manual syllable counts and cross-check.)