Good News

When I was feeling down recently,
And I seriously wondered
Whether all over the planet,
People feel the same.

I asked the internet
If anyone was still happy.
Because, after all, in this world,
Joy is what really matters.
And everyone who hears about it
Thinks it’s newsworthy.

Which made me a little happy,
But I quickly regretted it.
Because as soon as I clicked in,
I found out who was sleeping with someone else.

Above it, in large letters, was written:
A warning of really bad weather,
That the earth is shaking somewhere,
And a bassist is no longer alive.
A grandson from a small town,
Killed his grandmother yesterday.

A soccer player from somewhere,
Suddenly fell without a ball.
Not only are interest rates constantly falling,
A madman is threatening assassination,
Because his wife left him.
Urgent warnings are being issued about the new ones.
A glacier is melting into the warm sea.

Life is getting hard for polar bears.
And those who live on an island
Feel the sea rising its level.
As if all that weren’t enough,
A tanker lost its oil
A movie star is caught with cocaine.

And people who live in poverty
Strive for security and wealth.
A virus will probably come to me soon.
I close the window and the door.
But I sense it’s not far away.
Security will soon be over.

So will other beings soon
Read about me and my misfortune.
Until that time, I want to live
And raise a glass now and then.
For chastity and modesty,
Later will be the right time.
Instead of regretting the world’s misfortune,
I will rejoice as best I can!

Thich Nhat Hanh 1992