DIDACTIC: "SEARCHING FOR HAPPINESS" BY DR. RICHARD OYIBO

We journey for miles on tired feet,
Chasing smiles that refuse to last.
Borrowing comfort off the streets,
To restore the memories of our past.

We climb the hills of “almost there,”
Through dreams and hollow praises,
Believing joy appears everywhere,
Yet we still feel incomplete each day.

We look to the gold and silver doors,
In distant lands, grandly designed,
Yet miss the truth hung on the walls,
A peace that waits in our minds.

For true happiness was never far,
Not hidden in some offshore place,
It lives within our healed-up scars,
And reflects through our own face.

So still your steps, stop that chase,
Let your bliss become your guide,
You will find in stillness and in grace,
Happiness was you, all along, inside.

© DR. RICHARD OYIBO (The Passionate Poet)

-Nigeria

The poem "Searching For Happiness"  is a contemplative journey about the futility of seeking happiness externally. The speaker describes chasing fleeting smiles and external validations, only to realize true peace was within all along. Through spiritual and introspective language, the poem teaches that happiness isn't found in "distant lands" or external achievements, but in "stillness and in grace". The tone shifts from searching to realization, urging readers to look inward. The message is clear: happiness is an inner state, reflected in healed scars and self-acceptance.