When that gurgling river
Flanked by dainty hills
Bathes in sunshine
On a bright happy day
When every petal of
Every flower glimmers
With the smug little beads
Of a breezy rainshower
The eye feels content
The heart skips with joy
The hands spread in delight
Every pore soaked in bliss

But will all this change
When the same hills
The same river and flowers
Lie sullenly on a moonless night
No sunshine, no rain
Just crickets creaking
A piercing chill spreads

Yet are the hills
Just as dainty?
Is the river's silence
Just as rhythmic?
Are the flower's closed petals
Just as captivating?
As the chill gnaws into my bones
If my heart can keep
The bitter cynicism
From making a house in it

I shall know

I love the hills
Not just their morning view
I love the river
Not just it's serendipitous music
I love the flowers
Not just the dancing petals