The Alchemy of Joy

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Mr. Walker

Sweep away any doubt
Trust your emotional acumen

Let the juices pour out
and overflow the narrow gauge

There is a challenge to
finding joy and holding it

The alchemist knows it is art
sprinkled with a little craft

Mixing an acid and a base
a metal and a nonmetal

A chemical reaction
with the desired product

There is a mystery to
making joy and holding it

Taking oil and water
and shaking them together

An ephemeral emulsion
beautiful in its brevity

There is a conundrum to
producing joy and holding it

It takes time
slowness and patience

Be the tender
of your own garden

Watch the supple plants grow
and hold that in your heart

/ / /

This poem was written in response to Wordle 49 from The Sunday Whirl.

31 thoughts on “The Alchemy of Joy”

margo roby on March 25, 2012 at 9:51 am said:

This is lovely, Richard, one of those poems I will keep on an open tab for a while to reread and think again: How lovely.
Aside from that, the words work particularly well and the structure of the poem suits the theme. You are the second person, in an hour, to whom I have said, this suits Joseph’s exercise for the next week.
Clever use of ‘tender’. I need to think words through more carefully!
margo

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- Mr. Walker on March 28, 2012 at 11:25 am said:
  
  Margo, thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful comments. I will go see what Joseph’s exercise for the next week is; I am curious.
  
  Richard
  
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wordsandthoughtspjs on March 25, 2012 at 10:51 am said:

Richard, joy can be so brief in our lives, it is something we should hold on to. I think you did wonderfully with the words this week.

Pamela

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- Mr. Walker on March 28, 2012 at 11:26 am said:
  
  Pamela, thank you. Joy and alchemy just called to be put together, then thee rest followed.
  
  Richard
  
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markwindham on March 25, 2012 at 11:55 am said:

Very nice, patience in the pursuit of joy. So often we want it NOW, and refuse to nurture it.

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- Mr. Walker on March 28, 2012 at 11:26 am said:
  
  Mark, thank you for your kind words. Patience is important, isn’t it?
  
  Richard
  
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Laurie Kolp on March 25, 2012 at 12:21 pm said:

Richard- I love this… especially the ending.

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- Mr. Walker on March 28, 2012 at 11:27 am said:
  
  Laurie, thank you. Glad you liked it.
  
  Richard
  
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Mary on March 25, 2012 at 1:42 pm said:

Richard…good lesson here: We each have to be the tender of our own garden, can’t depend on others to tend it for us. And when the plants grow, we have to keep them tended…and that takes work. Well wordled!

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- Mr. Walker on March 28, 2012 at 11:28 am said:
  
  Mary, thank you. It’s sometimes a hard lesson, that we must tend our own gardens – and cannot depend on others. It does take work. Thank you again for your thoughtful reply.
  
  Richard
  
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brenda w on March 25, 2012 at 2:30 pm said:

Richard, patience is a virtue that I often chase away. This piece gave me pause, and allowed me to slow down. Beautiful write.

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- Mr. Walker on March 28, 2012 at 11:29 am said:
  
  Brenda, thank you. I’m pleased with how patience showed through in this one; surprised somewhat, but pleased.
  
  Richard
  
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irene on March 25, 2012 at 4:10 pm said:

Richard, you wrote about the alchemy of joy in a way that I’d like to have it. These lines are so lovely.

Be the tender
of your own garden

Watch the supple plants grow
and hold that in your heart

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- Mr. Walker on March 28, 2012 at 11:30 am said:
  
  Irene, thank you. Joy is a tricky one. Glad you liked those lines.
  
  Richard
  
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pmwanken on March 25, 2012 at 5:24 pm said:

…sigh… (in a good way) 😉

I loved the alternate use of “tender” — very clever, you are.

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- Mr. Walker on March 28, 2012 at 11:30 am said:
  
  Paula, thank you. I love those good sighs. Thanks – for the way I used “tender”.
  
  Richard
  
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tmhHoover on March 25, 2012 at 5:48 pm said:

You and I were on the look out for joy in our wordles today. “An ephemeral emulsion
beautiful in its brevity.” seems in synch with the line you enjoyed in mine,”Spiritual acumen, not adrift but loosely held” .It is in your first line;I think you hit the proverbial nail on the head. Joy withers in fear and doubt. So let us sweep it away indeed.

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- Mr. Walker on March 28, 2012 at 11:32 am said:
  
  Teri, thank you. Yes, we were clearly thinking/feeling along the same lines in our wordle poems about joy this week. Glad you liked that opening.
  
  Richard
  
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Diane Belleville on March 25, 2012 at 8:12 pm said:

Lovely and wonderful, the alchemist of JOY.

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- Mr. Walker on March 28, 2012 at 11:32 am said:
  
  Diane, thank you.
  
  Richard
  
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drpkp on March 25, 2012 at 8:26 pm said:

“be the tender of your own garden” … delicious line and sage advisement! Delightful poem 🙂

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- Mr. Walker on March 28, 2012 at 11:33 am said:
  
  Pearl, thank you. Glad you liked that line and the poem.
  
  Richard
  
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magicalmysticalteacher on March 26, 2012 at 4:31 am said:

Somewhere I remember reading that you weren’t entirely pleased with this poem (and I suppose, in a sense, no poets are ever fully satisfied with their work), but I think it is delightful in its simplicity and powerful in its imagery. It brings me joy to savor it. Thank you!

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- Mr. Walker on March 28, 2012 at 11:34 am said:
  
  MMT, thank you. I struggled with this one. I want it to say more. This one is definitely calling to me for revision. That said… I’m glad you liked it. I appreciate your kind and thoughtful words.
  
  Richard
  
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anl4 on March 26, 2012 at 7:57 am said:

I like the receipe for joy! Thanks

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- Mr. Walker on March 28, 2012 at 11:34 am said:
  
  Annell, thank you. Recipe is such a good word for what I was shooting for.
  
  Richard
  
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purplepeninportland on March 26, 2012 at 3:26 pm said:

I agree about the word, alchemist, but your poem is a triumph of alchemy!

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- Mr. Walker on March 28, 2012 at 11:35 am said:
  
  PurplePen, thank you. Poetry is alchemy. I’m not sure this is a triumph, but thanks!
  
  Richard
  
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JulesPaige on March 28, 2012 at 1:48 pm said:

I agree with the last two stanza. Lovely use of the wordles.

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- Mr. Walker on March 28, 2012 at 4:49 pm said:
  
  Jules, thank you. Glad you liked those last two stanzas.
  
  Richard
  
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EJ on March 30, 2012 at 10:17 pm said:

Beautiful, I love this.

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