Optimism An Anthology
Introduction In these past few years, I have grown to realize the amount of negativity that I see around me. There is stress because of schoolwork or family life. There are disagreements or judgments unfairly made. Depression is becoming something I encounter every day, not from myself, but from the people around me close friends, close family relatives, celebrities, acquaintances. I have had too many interactions with unhappiness and discomfort in my life, and thus I have decided that my main goal in life is to be happy and to think positively about each new day that is approaching. There is too little time in the lives we all have to be spending it sad and unforgiving. I realize that sometimes it is good to have negative emotions like anger, disappointment, shame, or unhappiness. However, not every day needs to be filled with these thoughts and feelings. Instead, if each day was looked at from an optimistic and positive view, I think people would have an easier time getting through hard times and challenges that they will face in life. I have chosen the theme of optimism for this anthology because it is something I cherish in my life, and think about all the time or as much as is humanly possible. In this anthology, I have chosen fifteen different poems from around the world and throughout history that convey in some way or another the idea of optimism. It was difficult to find this many poems, but I stretched out the ideas I had, and came up with more than I thought I would end up with. There are poems that are sad but end up happily, there are poems that are extremely short but express big ideas, and there are poems in here that are simply joyous and positive to read all the way through. It was hard to pick a specific way to organize the poems, so I decided to put them in approximate date order. This way, it is easy to see how different poets from different time periods in different parts of the world see this concept. This anthology starts around the year 500 C.E. and ends around the turn of the century (1990s to early 21st century). I hope it is easy to see the ideas I picked up from reading each of these poems, and that it is easy to notice how wide a variety of poetry can be created from one specific theme. In this process, I learned just how powerful it can be to read about facing hard times in a positive light, and I also learned how this concept has always been in peoples’ minds, whether they’re trying to be motivational or trying to convey the story of a character they’ve created who is having a rough time. There are many ways a writer can portray the same idea, and that’s one big thing that has occurred to me in the time I’ve spent creating this anthology. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy reading through these lovely poems and what I have learned or thought about them.
Table of Contents Look to This Day by Kalidasa, c. 500 CE In Drear Nighted December by John Keats, c. 1810 Keep a’Goin by Frank Lebby Stanton, c. 1890 My Dawn by Delmira Agustini c. 1907 Love by Delmira Agustini c. 1907 Start Where You Stand by Berton Braley, c. 1915 O Little Root of a Dream by Paul Celan, c. 1940 Help Yourself to Happiness by Helen Steiner Rice, c. 1960 This Sun on This Rubble by Dennis Brutus, c. 1970 Still I Rise by Maya Angelou, c. 1978 Morning by Mary Oliver, c. 1980 I’m Not Lonely by Nikki Giovanni, c. 1997 A Happy Reason by Nikki Giovanni, c. 1997 The New Optimism by Dean Young, c. early 21st century Starting Today by an Unknown Author
Look to This Day Listen to the exhortation of the dawn! Look to this day, For it is life, the very life of life. In its brief course lie all the Verities and realities of your existence. The bliss of growth, The glory of action, The splendor of beauty; For yesterday is but a dream, And tomorrow is only a vision; But today well lived makes Every yesterday a dream of happiness, And every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day. Such is the salutation of the dawn! This poem is short, but still carries a lot of inspiration in its words. Its message is simply yesterday is over and today is a new day. It is a very old poem, and it’s been translated from Sanskrit. The author, Kalidasa, lived sometime during the Gupta Empire, around 320 or 550 CE. It is a simple poem about appreciating the day you have ahead of you. In reading this poem, I took it as: live your life today like you want it, because tomorrow is never promised. It says “Every yesterday a dream of happiness, / And every tomorrow a vision of hope” which is a beautiful message. There is hope in every day, look forward to every day, and you’ll find happiness. I chose to include this poem because every single time I read it, aloud or in my head, I smile. It’s an involuntary action, but it is because this poem is so insanely optimistic I fall in love with it every time. And to think it was written about 1,700 years ago!
In Drear Nighted December There might be many ways to interpret this poem, but the way I took it was that even in this cold, gloomy winter month, the happy trees remain happy and let nothing take that away from them. There are many opposing ideas and words that demonstrate a juxtaposition of warmth and cold, such as “drear nighted” and “happy”; or “frozen” and “summer”. The rhyme scheme is effective in setting a specific rhythm for the poem when read aloud. I also thought it was interesting how the last word of each stanza rhymed: “prime”, “time”, and “rhyme”. The message of this poem goes perfectly with the theme of this anthology, and it also includes interesting diction and imagery to present it.
In drear nighted December, Too happy, happy tree, Thy branches ne’er remember Their green felicity— The north cannot undo them With a sleety whistle through them Nor frozen thawings glue them From budding at the prime. In drearnighted December, Too happy, happy brook, Thy bubblings ne’er remember Apollo’s summer look; But with a sweet forgetting, They stay their crystal fretting, Never, never petting About the frozen time. Ah! would ‘twere so with many A gentle girl and boy— But were there ever any Writh’d not of passed joy? The feel of not to feel it, When there is none to heal it Nor numbed sense to steel it, Was never said in rhyme.
Keep a'Goin Ef you strike a thorn or rose, Keep agoin'! Ef it hails, or ef it snows, Keep agoin! 'Taint no use to sit an' whine, When the fish ain't on yer line; Bait yer hook an' keep atryin'— Keep agoin'! When the weather kills yer crop, Keep agoin'! When you tumble from the top, Keep agoin'! S'pose you're out of every dime, Bein' so ain't any crime; Tell the world you're feelin' prime— Keep agoin'! When it looks like all is up, Keep agoin'! Drain the sweetness from the cup, Keep agoin'! See the wild birds on the wing, Hear the bells that sweetly ring, When you feel like sighin' sing— Keep agoin'!
The phrase “keep agoin’” is just what one thinks about when trying to motivate his or herself to get up and do what needs to be done. It’s a phrase similar to the one I tell myself when I’m feeling overwhelmed or sad. Just keep going and keep moving forward, and you will find happiness. There are lots of “if” statements in this poem, telling you “if” something happens, “keep agoin!” What struck me about this poem is its message. No matter what happens keep going!!! Which is exactly why I chose it to include in my project. Optimism is just that: make yourself not give up, look to the bright side, find happiness and this poem embodies that exact idea. It’s also written in a vernacular that I’m not used to, which intrigued me. It was written by Frank L. Stanton, who was a southern lyricist from Georgia. I quite enjoy reading this poem, and I feel it’s one of the more accurately representative ones of my theme.
My Dawn Like a great rising sun it illuminated my life And my soul opened to drink it like a flower of dawn; Love! Love! Blessed be the redeeming night In which your florid little hand knocked at my door. My soul pulsated in the shadow like a jarred harp: The waters of silence already open, at dawn It sang with its potent voice, mysterious and sonorous. My gloomy soul was a sleeping star! Today all the hope that I lamented as dead, Emerges to the winged life of the bird that awakens Inebriated with a joy strong as sorrow; And all things shine and pulsate, everything awakens and sings, As if the rosy canopy of its holy and living light Opened upon the world the dawn of my love. Typically, the sun is associated with warmth and happiness. Which is exactly what I got from this poem as well. However, not only is the sun the warm and happy focus of the piece, it’s more so about waking up. The morning in general seems to be what this poem is about. Waking up and everything feeling happy. My absolute favorite lines in this work is “Emerges to the winged life of the bird that awakens / Inebriated with a joy strong as sorrow.” The idea that the joy expressed here is as strong as sorrow is a very powerful image. I like how these two things, joy and sorrow, are being compared. One is positive, and one is negative, and they are completely opposing ideas, yet they are three words apart in the same line of the same poem. I like thinking that happiness can overshadow sadness, and that’s the feeling I get from this poem. I’m also a morning person, so this poem makes me feel giddy thinking about how wonderful mornings are.
Love I dreamt it impetuous, formidable, and ardent; It spoke the imprecise language of the torrent, It was a sea overflowing with madness and fire, Rolling through life like an eternal fountain. Afterwards, I dreamt it sad like a great sun setting That facing the night turns its fiery head; Then it laughed, and in its mouth as tender as a prayer The soul of the fountain sounded its crystal. And today I dream it vibrant and tender, laughing, and sad, That it dresses all iris and darkness; That, fragile like an idol and eternal like God, Its majesty rises above all life: And the kiss falls in fire to perfume its soles In a fiery flower plucked by two… In this poem, there is so much contrasting imagery and emotions, it makes for an interesting envisioning of what’s going on. This poem is about love, and I thoroughly enjoy reading about the different descriptive words like “torrent” and “madness and fire” and “soul of the fountain sounded its crystal” and especially “a fiery flower plucked by two.” These were images I particularly liked in this poem. There was a lot of imagery specifically about fire, which I thought was interesting, because typically fire is seen as dangerous, but this poem is about love is love dangerous? This poem was a stretch to match to my theme of optimism, but I chose it because there was also lots of dreaming happening. Dreaming about love seemed like a concept I often think about. There seems to be a cycle amongst the emotions in this poem. Love is difficult, then love is sad, and then love is vibrant and tender. I felt this poem related a lot to my anthology, because people generally can feel a lot of emotions surrounding stress, or when trying hard to find the sliver of light in a cloudy day (metaphorically speaking, of course).
Start Where You Stand
Start where you stand and never mind the past; The past won't help you in beginning new, If you have left it all behind at last Why that's enough, you're done with it, you're through; This is another chapter in the book, This is another race that you have planned, Don't give the vanished days a backwards look, Start where you stand. The world won't care about your old defeats If you can start anew and win success; The future is your time, and time is fleet And there is much of work and strain and stress; Forget the buried woes and dead despairs, Here is a brandnew trial right at hand, The future is for him who does and dares, Start where you stand. Old failures will not halt, old triumphs aid, Today's the thing, tomorrow will soon be; Get in the fight, and face it unafraid, And leave the past to ancient history. What has been has been; yesterday is dead And by it, you are neither blessed or banned; Take courage, man, be brave and drive ahead, Start where you stand. This poem is an inspirational piece that I have included. It has a rhyme scheme of ABAB, but there is no specific rhythm to it. The rhyme scheme is clever and the words the author chooses are effective in showing that the theme is to move forward and don’t fret over what has happened in the past. I like this poem because it sounds a little solemn when read out loud, but is all in all a motivational work of literature. The author tells it like it is in this poem, for lack of better words, and there is evidence in every stanza. Phrases he uses like “never mind the past”, “yesterday is dead”, “forget the buried woes”, and “drive ahead” all portray his idea that you should look forward to tomorrow without feeling bad about what may have happened yesterday because yesterday is over. This is an idea that I really like and one that I think about often, so I think it’s perfect to have in this anthology. Plus anyone who reads it really gets the idea that you’ll be perfectly fine, and there’s going to be a lot of stress in life, but you will survive from that. It’s hard to believe that tomorrow can be a better day, but I, and this poet, have faith that it will be.
O Little Root of a Dream O little root of a dream you hold me here undermined by blood, no longer visible to anyone, property of death. Curve a face that there may be speech, of earth, of ardor, of things with eyes, even here, where you read me blind, even here, where you refute me, to the letter. This poem grabbed my attention just from reading the title. Thinking about roots, they hold things stable and keep them grounded. Thinking about dreams, they give people hope and motivation, usually. So putting the two together seems like something I would like to read about, which I was correct on thinking. The form of this poem is really interesting. There are very few capital letters, interesting stanza and line breaks. Some lines have only one word, others have up to seven. The reason for having different line lengths could be to show that there are some long thoughts and some short thoughts, either you get carried away thinking about something, or not… I’m not sure how correct that is, but it’s just one theory I had relating to the length of each line. There are some peculiar images in this poem, it talks about the earth, speaking, faces, blood, dreaming. There seems to be no set form to this, but the content has purpose. The poem reads somewhat gloomy, and I think that adds a layer to my anthology that I don’t have too much of. Usually optimistic poems have happy themes, but this one has a depressing one, in my opinion, which gives variety to how authors and poets relay messages of happiness.
Help Yourself to Happiness Everybody, everywhere seeks happiness, it's true, But finding it and keeping it seem difficult to do. Difficult because we think that happiness is found Only in the places where wealth and fame abound. And so we go on searching in palaces of pleasure Seeking recognition and monetary treasure, Unaware that happiness is just a state of mind Within the reach of everyone who takes time to be kind. For in making others happy we will be happy, too. For the happiness you give away returns to shine on you. The rhythm of this poem is so effective in expressing the theme of it, and the rhyme helps a lot too. There’s some end rhyme in each stanza, as the second and last line’s ending word rhyme with each other in each stanza. In this poem, the author is conveying their idea that happiness isn’t as hard to achieve as people think it is. Some people think the only way to be happy is to be rich and famous, but that’s actually not the way to go about it. The author is telling the reader that to be happy yourself, you should help others be happy, and it’ll come back to you. This fits into my anthology very well, as the whole theme is that finding happiness is easy, which sounds very optimistic in my opinion.
This Sun on This Rubble This sun on this rubble after rain. Bruised though we must be some easement we require unarguably, though we argue against desire. Under jackboots our bones and spirits crunch forced into sweattearsodden slush now glowlipped by this sudden touch: sunstripped perhaps, our bones may later sing or spell out some malignant nemesis Sharpevilled to spearpoints for revenging but now our pridedumbed mouths are wide in wordless supplication are grateful for the least relief from pain like this sun on this debris after rain.
This poem by Dennis Brutus embodies the idea that no matter what is happening or has happened to you, there is always a sliver of hope that will keep you going. The idea of a “sun on this debris after rain” makes me think that the sun is there to dry up the water, and take away any pain or unhappiness along with it. This short poem struck me for many reasons. For one, I had to look up many of the phrases or words used in it. What I learned about the word “Sharpevilled” is that it was a massacre in 1960 in the South African town of Sharpeville. This struck me because I had no idea what I was reading before, and it puts an entirely new perspective on this poem for me. At first I thought this poem was about men trudging along with injuries during a war and not being able to withstand so much pain or tiredness, and I still believe that’s part of it, but now that I know there was a massacre involved, it has been confirmed for me that there was a lot of physical pain that influenced this poem. The author, Dennis Brutus, was an activist from South Africa, and he uniquely portrays the concept of staying optimistic in times of trouble and unbearable pain.
Still I Rise You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I’ll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells Pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I’ll rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops, Weakened by my soulful cries? Does my haughtiness offend you? Don’t you take it awful hard ‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines Diggin’ in my own backyard. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I’ve got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs? Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise.
Still I Rise (cont.) I chose to include this poem in my anthology because the repeated line “I rise” is what takes this poem and makes it fit my theme. The major idea behind this poem is that whatever happens, negative or not, a person can rise above or out of it. It also has a very inspirational feeling to it when read aloud, which made me love it all the more. This poem was influenced by the point in time where people were discriminating against black people to the point where it seemed it would never stop, and Maya Angelou wanted to express that through all of this rough time, she’d rise. No matter what happened, violent or verbal or racist or mean, she’d rise out of it all and make herself the bigger, better person. The whole idea of this poem is perfect for this project, and not to mention it’s one of my favorite poems anyway. In almost every single stanza, Angelou repeats the words “I rise” or “I’ll rise” which I think is extremely helpful in emphasizing the idea behind this work of literature. I found this poem in a small book of which the only word content was this poem. The artwork paired up with it were all paintings by the artist Diego Rivera, and I think it matched up very well, the feelings of the paintings and the emotions from the poem.
Morning Salt shining behind its glass cylinder Milk in a blue bowl. The yellow linoleum. The cat stretching her black body from the pillow. The way she makes her curvaceous response to the small, kind gesture. Then laps the bowl clean. Then wants to go out into the world where she leaps lightly and for no apparent reason across the lawn, then sits, perfectly still, in the grass. I watch her a little while, thinking: what more could I do with wild words? I stand in the cold kitchen, bowing down to her. I stand in the cold kitchen, everything wonderful around me.
I love cats. However, this is not the only reason I am including this poem. The very last line is what strikes me most about it: “everything wonderful around me.” When trying to cheer myself up, this is something I often will say to myself. Everything is awesome, and I have a wonderful life, so I shouldn’t be sad for too long, and I should take advantage of the great things I have and spend my time feeling happy instead. The poem focuses on a cat who really has no care in the world; who can just hop around and not have any responsibilities or be sad about anything in particular. In the cat’s mind, everything is perfect and tends to his or her needs. The first time I read this, I had no idea why it was beginning with describing the surroundings, a kitchen setting. I thought it was going to be about food or happy kitchen experiences. However, it turned out to be about a cat who just so happens to spend time in the kitchen, drinking milk and hopping around joyously. Sometimes I wish I were a cat, then life would seemingly be much simpler.
i’m not lonely sleeping all alone you think i’m scared but i’m a big girl i don’t cry or anything i have a great big bed to roll around in and lots of space and i don’t dream bad dreams like i used to have that you were leaving me anymore now that you’re gone i don’t dream and no matter what you think i’m not lonely sleeping all alone
I'm Not Lonely I chose this poem to include in this anthology because it directly relates to the theme. The message the reader gets from this poem is that even though someone is gone, you don’t have to be lonely. Even if you’re physically completely alone, you’ll never really be alone or have to feel completely alone. The tone of this poem is so relaxed, yet has lots of evident emotion when read aloud, it makes for a very inspiring piece. There are no capital letters or punctuation. The first line and one of the last lines are the same, which show how the theme comes full circle. Mostly everything about this poem is positive, or at least seems that way, especially the third stanza. That part of the poem is (a) the longest, and (b) the most optimistic. It mentions the good things about the narrator’s surroundings and how even though there have been negative things in their life recently, there are so many more positive things to focus on and be happy about. This poem seems like something that someone would need to hear in a time of need or sadness. Remembering the happy and nice things about life is the main focus of my anthology, so this poem is perfect to include.
A Happy Reason a good book (not necessarily a mystery)... some popcorn with lots of real butter...an overstuffed chair… a fire in the wood stove… quilts on the couch… thermal blankets on the bed… a feather duster waiting to be used… a merlot waiting to be explored… the coffee pot with a timer… the 49ers winning if we get lucky… comic pages in color… intelligent editorials… snow or rain or any inclement weather… or heavy doses of sun… a reason to move or not move… a reason to go or not go no reason to be anything… except happy… with… you
Based on the imprecision of the grammar of this poem, it makes it really easy to connect it to thoughts one may have on their own, which is exactly why I’ve chosen this poem. It struck me that it had so many ellipses and so many words left not capitalized, and such an odd ending in terms of spacing. There seems to be no specific form to this poem other than resembling a free write of thoughts. Not to mention this poem is perfect for my theme. The title includes the word “Happy” which is a direct relative of optimism. The poem also lists many pleasurable things, ideas, or actions, which paints a very nice picture of comfort and happiness. This poem is fun to read because it makes the reader envision experiencing all of what’s listed in it. The ending is a thought I often have: there’s no reason not to be anything but happy.
The New Optimism The recital of the new optimism was oft interrupted, rudeness in the ramparts, an injured raven that needed attendance, preop nudity. The young who knew everything was new made babies who unforeseeably would one day present their complaint. Enough blame to go around but the new optimism didn’t stop, helped one pick up a brush, another a spatula even as the last polar bear sat on his shrinking berg thinking, I have been vicious but my soul is pure. And the new optimism loves the bear’s soul and makes images of it to sell at fairtrade craft fairs with laboriously knotted hunks of rope, photos of cheese, soaps with odd ingredients, whiskey, sand, hamburger drippings, lint, any and everything partaking of the glowing exfoliating cleanup. And the seal is sponged of oil spill. And the broken man is wheeled in a meal. War finally seems stupid enough. You look an animal in the eye before eating it and the gloomy weather makes the lilacs grow. Hello, oceans of air. Your dead cat loves you forever and will welcome you forever home
This poem is here because it struck me in many ways. The diction, the format, the imagery, the concepts and topics touched upon… This is an odd poem. However, it includes the word “optimism” in the title, so I looked at it, and fell in love with it. It has some interesting moments that seem very out of place, but in the grand scheme of things, this poem is perfectly relatable. It talks about how this “new optimism” is going around, giving people and polar bears hope, and it won’t stop no matter what is happening or going on around it. It’s an idea that I like. After reading this poem multiple times, it still perplexes me, but I find something more interesting about it each time I read it. At first I’m struck that the last line is about a dead cat. Then I’m scared for the polar bear’s life on his shrinking ice berg. And I’m always interested in the part about the crafts fair because it uses so many common things in a way that doesn’t seem like it should be. The author lists some objects that definitely don’t go together, but in this poem, they’re supposed to. This whole poem struck me as something I needed to include in this anthology, and not just because it’s totally relatable, but it’s odd enough to have someone read it twice, which I think is brilliant.
Starting Today Starting today: I'm going to live my life to the fullest. I'm going to have no regrets for yesterday. I'm going to forget about all the bad experience I've had in the past. I'm going to do my self a favor To forget about the burdens, To forget about the pains, To forget about the hurts. Starting today: I won't let anyone tell me that I can't. I won't let anyone get in my way. I will do things on my own. I'm going to be my self's best coach, And I'm going to be a good leader for myself. Starting today: I won't waste time on the things that I cannot change. I won't waste time trying to change what's in the past. I won't waste time trying to be someone I'm not. I won't waste time trying to hide my situation. I won't waste time worrying about what people say about me Or my situation. Starting today: I'm going to live like I won't live again; I'm going to smile like I won't smile again. I'm going to do well in everything that I do with no regrets. And I'm going to shape my life for the better.
Starting Today (cont.)
If I’m being completely honest, this poem sounds like something I would write myself. It sounds exactly like lists I’ve written in my journal in the past, or ideas I’ve had, or goals I’ve given myself to try and achieve. This poem has no rhyme scheme, it has no specific form, and it doesn’t have too much of a story to tell. What it has is a theme that “starting today,” things will get better and I will make them better myself. I have a hard time keeping my level of motivation up when it comes to things like this staying positive, staying happy but this poem gets me on a personal level, because I think about all of these ideas a lot. Instead of being a poem, this feels more like a train of thought that someone just wrote down, a mental note to himself, and then gave it a title and published it. I included it for the reason that I relate to it the most directly that I’ve ever related to anything or anyone in my entire life. It’s one of my favorites in this anthology, because it seems the least like a poem, yet still is a poem. It does use anaphora, because the phrases often repeat at the beginning of the lines, “I’m going to”; “I won’t waste time”; “I won’t let anyone.” This poem is very relatable and easy to read, and has the perfect title.
Poems
Bibliography
Look to This Day by Kalidasa; http://allpoetry.com/LookToThisDay In Drear Nighted December by John Keats; http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/drearnighteddecember Keep a'Goin by Frank L. Stanton; http://www.scrapbook.com/poems/doc/6072.html My Dawn and Love by Delmira Agustini; Selected Poetry of Delmira Agustini. Southern Illinois University Press, 2003. Print. Start Where You Stand by Berton Braley; http://allpoetry.com/Startwhere youstand O Little Root of a Dream by Paul Celan; http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/olittlerootdream Help Yourself to Happiness by Helen Steiner Rice; http://www.ellenbailey.com/poems/ellen_422.htm This Sun on This Rubble by Dennis Brutus; Modern Poetry From Africa. Penguin Books, 1963. Print. Still I Rise by Maya Angelou; Still I Rise. Morning by Mary Oliver; New and Selected Poems Mary Oliver. Beacon Press, 1992. Print. I'm Not Lonely and A Happy Reason by Nikki Giovanni; Love Poems. The New Optimism by Dean Young; http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poem/240244 Starting Today by Unknown Author; http://www.behappyzone.com/happy attitudepoems.html
Images
Walking http://www.nacentralohio.com/wpcontent/uploads/2013/06/Barefoot walking.jpg Flowers http://data2.whicdn.com/images/51407706/original.jpg Balloons https://deadbeforemidnight.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/happiness.jpg Sunrise http://media1.santabanta.com/full1/Outdoors/Sunrise/sunrise 16a.jpg Pebbles http://editorial.designtaxi.com/newsarts230713/1.jpg Cat http://onlypositive.net/image.axd?picture=2012%2F4%2Fcatlazy time.jpg