The Work of Happiness
by May Sarton
I thought of happiness, how it is woven
Out of the silence in the empty house each day
And how it is not sudden and it is not given
But is creation itself like the growth of a tree.
No one has seen it happen, but inside the bark
Another circle is growing in the expanding ring.
No one has heard the root go deeper in the dark,
But the tree is lifted by this inward work
And its plumes shine, and its leaves are glittering.
So happiness is woven out of the peace of hours
And strikes its roots deep in the house alone:
The old chest in the corner, cool waxed floors,
White curtains softly and continually blown
As the free air moves quietly about the room;
A shelf of books, a table, and the white-washed wall —
These are the dear familiar gods of home,
And here the work of faith can best be done,
The growing tree is green and musical.
For what is happiness but growth in peace,
The timeless sense of time when furniture
Has stood a life’s span in a single place,
And as the air moves, so the old dreams stir
The shining leaves of present happiness?
No one has heard thought or listened to a mind,
But where people have lived in inwardness
The air is charged with blessing and does bless;
Windows look out on mountains and the walls are kind.
In this poem, May Sarton presents happiness not as something instant or effortless but as something that must be carefully nurtured overtime. The poem compares happiness to a growing tree, suggesting that it develops slowly, almost invisible, through patience and inner effort. It conveys us that rather than depending on external success or excitement, true happiness should be rooted within us and it should always be deeply personal.
Sarton’s words should echo in today’s society because as participants in the constant race of life, we often believe that true happiness comes from external validation rather than inner satisfaction.
The poem also emphasizes the value of solitude and simplicity. Sarton describes peaceful surroundings like “a quiet home”, “familiar objects” and “movements of stillness” as essentials to building a sense of contentment. Instead of viewing loneliness as something negative, she presents it as a space to grow through understanding your own self.
What this poem says challenges modern thinking where people often believe satisfaction comes from making life more complex. They see simplicity as “not enough.” Moments of quiet are mistaken for failure, loneliness is confused with depression and peaceful homes feel like being lost. But in truth, these simple, still spaces are where real contentment and self-understanding begin.
Don’t place your happiness in the hands of others. When it depends on them, it becomes fragile but when it comes from within, it becomes steady and truly yours!
Acadora 