Happiness Is Rarely Melody

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Hear me read
the poem as
an MP3 file.

Watch me read
the poem as
a YouTube video.

Audio and Video Music:
Sonata No. 1
in F Minor:
Adagio.
By Ludwig von
Beethoven.
Performed by
Daniel Veesey
at the Free Music Archive
under a Public Domain
License
.

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Copyright by
Nicholas Gordon

Happiness is rarely melody
As other voices jockey for the lead.
Perhaps it is most comfortable as bass,
Pleased to underlie the others' grace,
Yielding to their histrionic need,
Holding up their fragile harmony.
On holidays, however, it becomes
Less self-effacing, stepping forth to sing,
In moments filled with labor, love, and longing,
Deep descants on the beauty of belonging;
After which, again retiring,
Yet not before the harried heart takes wing,
Softly at the base of life it hums.

Copyright by Nicholas Gordon. Free for personal or non-commercial use.

Audio and Video Music: Sonata No. 1 in F Minor: Adagio.
By Ludwig von Beethoven. Performed by Daniel Veesey
at the Free Music Archive under a Public Domain License.

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