Across a lot of my fiction writing, I have a habit of naming certain characters almost in an allegorical kind of way.
So, for example, in my debut book “The Diary of old Drunk” (Which, incidentally, I wrote when I was 19, and teetotal!) - the main character has a love interest named Grace. And the reason I chose that name specifically, was because of it’s symbolic nature. (i.e grace itself can relate to personal qualities like elegance or courteousness - or to the “graces” of greek myth - or to the idea of “god’s grace” that we find in certain spiritual texts)
So, with today’s poem - I must admit, it is a similar kind of thing.
For me, “Joy” may be code name for a real person - a fictional character - an emotional ideal - or simply for something that has been lost over all these years.
But I don’t want to say too much more here because, fundamentally, the idea is always to leave these things open to each individual interpretation too.
After all, “Joy” is a friend that I’m sure so many of us will have met with over the years . . . and, similarly, she is also a stranger who will no doubt have left so many of us feeling somewhat abandoned at times too.
So, however you choose to read this - I hope you will find something you recognise in these four little verses below.
And as always, feel free to leave a comment below if any of it resonated today.
My sweet Joy Where have you gone? And where did we go so wrong? It seems that all your foolish dreams have been stringing me along! All rights turned wrong My head was gone The time goes marching on As we just drift so far away from where we once belonged
Oh, my sweet Joy for you I crossed the sand, the sky and the sea I used to be myself but now what have you done to me? My faith in fate was lost in anger, pride, and jealousy And you claim that this is destiny . . . But I have to disagree.
Sweet Joy, my perfect pain it's such a shame how good things change; And we become estranged now when our souls are still the same. You promised me such fortune but fickle fame is so inane. And though you know that I'm a gambling man This life is not my game
Oh Joy I've seen the signs and I'm really coming down this time The world moves on too fast, my love and it's leaving me behind I gave my heart and lost my mind to naïve romance rhymes Ahh, Joy you lived your life . . . but did you never care for mine?
Joy a feeling of happiness, being in rapture, but taken by wisps of wind driven powers sails full blouse endowed to seek seaside waves admires unknown.
Joy is mysterious an expectation that when the feel arrives you missed what you thought to be. Many joys I’ve known and many times walked away alone.
Aren’t we interchangeable Joys? Surely we take turns.