Black Days

I wish I understood the dark days…
I wish I knew how the bright ones could return.
I don’t see the panoramic woodland green
All I see is darkened forests burning down…

Why can I not see the good around me?
Is it just unrealistic expectations?
A set of goals unreachable?
A dark negative outlook on life?

Am I just being paranoid
About all events I hear about?
The news seems so sad, so flagrantly horrible
That I can’t stand to listen anymore.

These black days are full of death
Of pain, fear, and endless suffering.
Why can’t I hear about the good things in life?
They just don’t sell, they’re just way too boring.

The smile of an infant
The scent of a flower
The patter of raindrops
The softness of a kitten
The hug from a spouse
The warmth of the sun
The colors of a sunset
The stillness of a pond

None of that seems to matter
When all are focused on disasters
From the trivial to the existential
And eyes are closed to the good

So let me leave these black days behind
To look to a future with hope
Kindness and love surrounding
Is that just too much to ask?