The Sierra Leone Web

 
  Mariatu Kargbo was born in Sierra Leone and now lives in the United States. She graduated from the West Virginia College of law in 2004. She is the author of "Mr. Byrd's Bird," "Three Themne Titi Girls," and "Ripped Sunset."  

 

Happiness

Happiness lives within me…
Sweetly it tickles my bones
Happily, it dances in my soul
Joyously like the summer's rain
Caressing my darkly brown skin
It beats in my heart like the touch of my beloved
Forever and ever it lives in me through the ravaging storms
The fierce battles for my being

It has guided me through my journeys
It has been my many northern stars
It has protected me as my life spun out of control
It has been there-keeping me warm in the coldest of nights
Though I neglected to recognize its existence
I have now found its strength
It shines through me like all the stars in the sky
You could see it in my eyes, can't you see?
It causes my eyes to twinkle!