Diesel fumes from nearby roads
Waft into the rain forest
Transit slaves pass back and forth
East-west and eventually
South-north
I glide along gravel trails
Belly bouncing into
The new year
Tactics old and new having failed
To master the mind
Its hopes and fears
Threats are ever present
But I must from too much negativity refrain
Because cheers are here also in great number
Pleasures to counter-balance the pain
We sit
We walk
We run
All in the name of duty
And fun
I am no stranger
To risks, hazards and
Dangers
But also
Joyful shouts
Fist pumps
And Cheshire smiling
Mouths
There is no simple recipe
For increasing happiness
But there is more
Than tips galore
Mixing both wisdom
And sappiness
The happy life does have a base
A core, a centrality
You can look both to
Nature and indigenous values
To move beyond the Empire's
Banality
We've been sold a dream
Resembling a spiked drink
God forbid you fail to sip
Or take a few moments
To think
Yes, it's
Blended with toxins
A royal mess
Passing off as real
Synthetic happiness
I dare not drink
Or even look at its
Alluring promise
Threats increase
And cheers decrease
When you yield to its
Plastic bliss
~ Gunnar Våken
