Existential Angst

^{by Annette Gagliardi}

You wear your existential angst like a new frock in May
And look with distain on those who cast a glance your way.

What do the common people know of your singular despair?
You sip the tea of discontent as you stubbornly wonder where

The next wound of insult will appear.
Take brooding offense at slightest tone,

For in this world you alone
Suffer the slings and arrows of unbearable ignorance.

And never once look upon the world with contentment,
Ne’r see the joy in a single leaf nor the delight of a petal’s glory.

For if a positive thought should enter in
How would you tell your story?

Today's question is often "Are you happy?".  As a society, we have reached the stage of development that begs us to consider our mental and emotional state.

What ever happened to "are you safe?" or "are you hungry?". These measures are past, especially here  in the United States of America. We are, for the most part safe. We are, for the most part full, or at least not hungry. The evidence of that can be seen by the ever increasing waistlines amongst our populace.

Are you lonely? or Do you belong? are both questions we could ask. But, we skirt those issues easily with the "Are you happy?"  question.

This poem discusses the person who is not and perhaps will never be happy. They are so discontent as to have made it their life quest to remain unhappy.