Oh those morning hours,
Those dark hours
Before the sun starts shining;
Oh those lonely hours!
The world looks gray and
You feel as though you’re dying.

It’s 3 AM, a dreamless hour,
You sit and wonder why
When only dreams are left
In your whole world
They too should be denied.

Oh those morning hours,
Those dark hours
Before the sun starts shining;
Oh those lonely hours!
The world looks gray and
You feel as though you’re dying.

The coffee’s cold, your mind is numb.
You think you can’t endure
The emptiness
Of another day
When nothingness is assured.

Oh those morning hours,
Those dark hours
Before the sun starts shining;
Oh those lonely hours!
The world looks gray and
You feel as though you’re dying . . .

[Poem written 11/21/1978 by SEV]

Despair. The anti-joy, the lure of darkness when sorrow and pain demand too much of you.  Despair. Relinquishing the light your being craves. Despair.  Unconsciously ignoring the brightness of your soul. Despair: its power over you lies in your control.

I suggest to you that joy is indelibly written into the essence of humanity. Joy is not an elusive state of mind, nor is it mere emotion.  I believe joy is actually the state of inner peace.  It is the serenity derived from recognizing the soul and the self are one, belonging in turn to something greater than both.  Joy is the realization that you were born with everything you need to create a life worthy of your efforts.  Joy need not be sought, nor is it a goal which you must achieve.  Joy simply awaits your acceptance.

“Dark nights of the soul” are temporary. The sun always rises. Joy is within you, ready to be claimed.