Poetry | Mental Health | Life Lessons

Happiness Lives in You

A negative-positive reverse etheree

Negativity is unattractive poison oozes out from deep within, sours once healthy relationships Fake smiles are superficial, words and deeds make them real P o s i t i v i t y – it’s a life choice Happiness lives in YOU!

© Carolyn Hastings 2022

There’s so much negativity in the world at the present time. It is threatening to overwhelm and destroy us. To set one against the other. Divide families, communities, and nations. Undermine and ruin relationships that were once stable and secure.

We cannot survive in an environment of negativity. Positivity is the only way forward if we are to have lasting happiness.

I am reminded of the words of St. Paul the Apostle when he wrote –

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Etheree Poetry

I’ve written this poem as a reverse etheree — a 10-line syllabic poem with the first line being 10 syllables long and each subsequent line being one syllable less than the preceding line, ending at line 10 with a one-syllable word.

Melissa Coffey provides more information about the etheree and its origins in this article, Syllabic Poetry: Meet the Etheree —

I happened across etherees recently when I was selecting different poetry forms for Part I of Paper Poetry’s Poemorama celebration of poetry. It became a toss-up between etherees and their 9-line siblings, nonets — nonets won out! 😊

Nonets at Poemorama

As well as my nonets (here and here), we had some delightful nonet submissions for Poemorama. Please take a look for yourself —

✨ Winds of Change by Kimberly Hampton Nilsson

✨ These Day Old Chicks by William J Spirdione

✨ Poetainted on Poemorama by Margie Willis

✨ A Morning Walk in the Forest by Megan Nicole Morgan

Invitation to Etheree

So, who is ready to give etherees a try? How about it — Monoreena Acharjee Majumdar | Amanda Laughtland | Raine Lore | Thalia Dunn | Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她) | Orla K. | Francine Fallara | Dennett? And everyone else I haven’t mentioned — which is quite a few! 😜 🙏 ✨

Thank you all for reading. 🙏 💕

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