The Longing For Joy

The longing for joy does not serve us well When it blinds us to other emotions. We stumble to think mere absence of pain Would be heav'n (fear to drown in life's oceans) . Absence of pain implies no lessons learned, Best be careful of just what we wish for. Look to the heart, t'would be sad should we thwart The deepest longing for God at our core. He who blithely elevates his own joy, Equating God's heav'n to just feeling good, Has made a wrong turn, chosen the wrong path, And betwixt his ears there's only dense wood. If oceans there be, then let lungs be filled, Even if all I breathe is salt water. To cut myself off from emotional life…? Best give my place to someone who's smarter. Brian Johnston May 16, 2014