Moments

What causes it—the strange felicity
That surges through the nerves when least expected
As sudden thankfulness sweeps over me,
And somehow I feel cared for and protected?
Then, cares that fill an ordinary day
Diffuse within a sense of being blessed;
For no good cause, guilt vanishes away
And anxious premonitions are repressed.
Perhaps it’s merely chemicals released
Into the intricacies of the brain;
Perhaps some psychological stress has ceased,
Or paused, before returning once again—
Or, maybe, other factors are bestowing
The moments that arrive that keep me going.

Thomas Carper

Kukui Nut Trees, Sunset and Me, ygchan