Happiness

Happiness by Just a Friend

What we stake our happiness on,
a glance, a smile, a giggle, a word,
from certain people in our lives.

What we do for it,
"Jump!" people say, "How high?" we answer,
we make fools of ourselves and we sneak out,
we walk across town and brave the rain,
go out of our way for chance meetings,
with those people.

What happens when we lose our gamble,
that glance and giggle devoted to another,
the smiles never in your direction,
the words to others,
or worse yet, about others.

What pain we feel,
rejection a stab in the heart,
the aching knowledge of what you could have done better,
the torturous hope for another chance,
regret for what could have been.

"Why?" we must wonder,
what was done wrong,
"Too withdrawn," those people say sometimes,
"Ew!," the simplest explanation,
other times they don't ever think about you,
worse when they don't know who you are.

What we do with the pain,
say we wish we were the other sex,
hide and cry, find our confidante,
hope for something better.

What we do to cause the pain,
we lead people on, smile and wink,
then fickle as the wind we ignore them,
we don't talk to them, find another to smile at.

Is it worth it?
Do we have a choice?
After we wager our happiness once,
it's double or nothing till we win,
and who can control when, or on who,
they stake their happiness?