The Free Treasure We Forget to Seek
We spend fortunes chasing pleasure, yet joy waits quietly where the price tag reads “free.”
Seeking Joy
William H. Davies
Joy, how I sought thee!
Silver I spent and gold,
On the pleasures of this world,
In splendid garments clad;
The wine I drank was sweet,
Rich morsels I did eat—
Oh, but my life was sad!
Joy, how I sought thee!
Joy, I have found thee!
Far from the halls of Mirth,
Back to the soft green earth,
Where people are not many;
I find thee, Joy, in hours
With clouds, and birds, and flowers—
Thou dost not charge one penny.
Joy, I have found thee!
Reflection:
William H. Davies’ Seeking Joy traces the futile chase for happiness in gold, fine clothes, and fleeting pleasures. The first stanza captures the familiar ache of discovering that even life’s most lavish indulgences can leave the heart hollow. Then, in a quiet pivot, Davies offers the answer—joy found not in grandeur, but in returning to the earth’s embrace. The soft green, the company of clouds, birds, and flowers, and the absence of cost remind us that joy’s truest form is abundant, accessible, and unpretentious. This is joy that doesn’t demand, but simply exists for those who notice. The poem is a gentle nudge to step away from the noise and remember that the richest treasure is often found in the simplest places.
Three Questions to Dive Deeper:
- When have you discovered joy in something entirely free?
- What “rich morsels” in your life distract you from deeper happiness?
- How can you create more space for nature’s quiet joys in your daily routine?