Let Joy Keep You: Carl Sandburg’s Fierce Call to Live Fully
Joy isn’t fragile—Sandburg reminds us it’s fierce, muscular, and meant to be seized with both hands.
Joy
Carl Sandburg
Let a joy keep you.
Reach out your hands
And take it when it runs by,
As the Apache dancer
Clutches his woman.
I have seen them
Live long and laugh loud,
Sent on singing, singing,
Smashed to the heart
Under the ribs
With a terrible love.
Joy always,
Joy everywhere—
Let joy kill you!
Keep away from the little deaths.
Reflection
Carl Sandburg’s “Joy” invites us to see joy not as a gentle visitor, but as a powerful force that grabs hold of us and refuses to let go. Real joy shakes us awake. It cuts through hesitation, fear, and all the “little deaths” of indifference or routine. Sandburg urges us to reach for joy boldly, even recklessly, because it is joy—not comfort—that keeps the heart alive. His poem challenges us to live with passion, to laugh loudly, and to let ourselves be moved by the “terrible love” that gives life its fire.
Question for Readers:
When was the last time you seized joy instead of waiting for it?
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Insightful.
As for the question, I’m learning to express more, to be spontaneous and free. Seems my reservedness
Joy, happiness, and love. We can run after them, but we’ll never catch them. They come to us when we’re ready to receive them. When they happen, you want to stay in the moment forever. It’s as if God gives us a taste of heaven. Stay strong. Ray
I wait by default; to seize the moment (carpe diem) is a dream I wish to achieve.
Reservation is my mantra
This is insightful & inspiring for me though
Wish me luck.
Thanks for the comment. I know how you feel. I’ve felt the same way. All I knew was to keep working, learning, and evolving. Then, unplanned and unexpected, it happened. The right person showed up and presented an opportunity. The strange thing about it. These moments were never of my choosing. I knew I had to take advantage of them. Good things will happen for you. I read your poem Requiem . I hope you reach many people. The poem’s message needs to be heard. Stay strong. Keep making a difference. Ray