As the world continues to face challenges and uncertainties, finding joy has become more important than ever. In this issue, we have curated a collection of poems that celebrate— from the simple pleasures in life to the exhilaration of new experiences. These poems seek to lift your spirits and help you embrace moments of happiness.
The truth is: Joy is not the absence of grief. It is the character of bliss in spite of tumult. Joy is a habit. A gift and freebie to oneself. And I've always wondered why we refuse to celebrate our happiness. In my poem Nomenclature, I lamented: “but why we are afraid of pronouncing our joy, i don't know. i don't know why at night we call salt the 'sea sand.”
Most times, we feel some joy ain't joy enough to be adored. Sometimes, it is so we may hide our joy from the evil eyes. Eniola Abdulroqeeb's "Daffodil by a Canyon" said it's because “too much seasoning destroys a broth.”But “Joy is not in things;” said Shams Tebriz, “it is in us.”
That is to say, joy is not restricted to events. If your mind is not entrenched in joy, no amount of success will make you rejoice. You have to imbibe joy. Little wonder Abdulroqeeb helps us realize later in the same poem that “nothing is extravagant when it involves us...”
And we don't have to pitch tents to celebrate. Sometimes, you take yourself to the eatery or a park to celebrate a small win. Date yourself. Make yourself a beverage. Get yourself a cup of smoothie, or parfait. If we refuse to choose joy today, then when?
See, grief and joy are constant. Rumi said “Joy comes, grief goes, we know not how.” You can't wait till a level of bliss before you rejoice. Every level of joy should be celebrated. Because if death knocks tomorrow, you'll be sad you didn't celebrate your existence.
Refusal to celebrate is “to hoard a moon in your belly is to hoard the night & the constellations...,” as in "Confession in a Telephone Box," poem of Abdulkareem Abdulkareem. Rumi advised that it is important that you “Respond to every call that excites your spirit;” because “when you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” And what does joy do? In Oluwadamilola Omotoyinbo's "ukulele," we see that it “plasters every bruise,/ mends broken heart,/ folds them into a bundle/ of miracle.”
In the end, the poets in this issue remind us that joy is not just a fleeting emotion, but a state of being that can be cultivated within ourselves. So, on behalf of the poets and the editors, I invite you to immerse yourself in the joyful experiences and emotions that these poems evoke. I encourage you to embrace the joy that is present in your life and to find happiness in your own unique way.