When I feel sad
my joy is rekindled
because my sadness
and my joy are one
and they are many

My sadness is
the clear cold light
of the rising moon
fed on the glowing embers
of the dying sun

It contains
the joy in my soul
the way my veins
hold my lifeblood
in my body

It is the bland rice
to the spicy curry
that sustains my existence

It is that moment of silence
between two notes
in the symphony
of my universe

It is the implosion that checks
the explosion of my heart

My sadness is a stranger
to that ugly modern impostor
called depression

Depression
is the faded foliage
of a sickly plant
the sputtering
of a choking engine
the cloak of anger
turned on itself

I welcome my sadness
because it hones my mind
sharpens my vision
pulls and tugs
at my heart-strings
and reminds me
that I am still alive

My sadness and my joy
are one and they are many

They are the yin and the yang
the flip and the flop
the flip-flop
of the eternal dance
of my Lord Shiva

My sadness is the tear
that flows
when the cup of joy
spills over