I Am Carrying Happiness

I am happy
it’s so simple

I am carrying happiness
in my hands
I scarcely dare breathe
I’m afraid
of dropping it
as though I had to cross a desert
carrying a bowl of water
as though I’d picked up
a baby for the first time

I’m afraid
if I hold it too tight
it might break
and if I hold it too loosely
it could slip through my fingers

suffering wasn’t like this
it was much more familiar
I knew where I stood with it
now my feet barely touch
the ground

now I don’t know
how to behave at all
I am carrying happiness
in my hands