Bernard Barclay Poet Narrative

Money Can't Buy Happiness

Money can't buy happiness
for me happiness 
Such an elusive emotion
I'm not sad or depressed 

But can not say I'm extremely
happy either
When my son was still in nappies
I took him out to the park

taught him to hold his arms together
and gently lobbed the ball into his arms 
It didn't take long
Before he could catch the ball

standing only 
a couple of feet away
I taught him to hit the ball 
With a bat

every weekend 
We had a ritual 
of going out to the park
or the museum  

Every night when I put him to bed
I would read several golden books
So by the time he was ready to start school
He could already hit a ball well

When he tried out for the cricket team,
he hit the ball for a six
All the other kids said, "Wow."
From then on, he loved cricket

By spending time reading books
When it came time to start school
He already knew how to read 
to a certain extent

He understood what the teachers said 
and did well at school
Getting A's, he never had to study
reading something once

That was enough for him
His teachers forever wanted 
to take him up to a higher level
Today, he still loves cricket

He has a job and a wife of his own
I guess happiness is built on success
Hitting that ball for a six
Got the admiration of his peers 

leading to a life where he loved cricket
which he still has to this day
Happiness is built on attitude and success
and limited by how high you set your goals

I know another person 
That forever sets her goals too high
She has to be the best
If she is not the best

She gives up 
because she sees herself as a failure
She keeps telling herself 
"I'm useless."

Repeating time after time
"I'm stupid, I'm useless."
"What's the point in trying?"
Time after time, I've tried to help

When you set your targets too high
You set yourself up for failure
You can't always be the best
But you can improve, 

On what you did yesterday
When you first learn to drive a car
You make mistakes, and you are not a good driver
To become a good driver takes experience

and attitude. 
That goes with everything in life
The reason my son could hit the ball 
It was because he had experience

The acclamation of his peers
rewarded him for success
Success gave him a love of cricket
The love of cricket gave him happiness

Expecting to be the best
sets people up for failure
Failure makes them feel stupid
Feeling stupid gives them a reason to give up

Money can't buy happiness 
But it pays for dancing lessons 
The love of dancing 
builds fun, fun creates happiness

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