Malheureux

Badly happy, the French say - as if

Unhappiness were simply due

To poor technique or cheap equipment,

Unprofessionalism or bad coaching.

One hates to admit they're right,

When they hardly seem happy themselves,

And hardly seem to wish to be -

Too busy being impassioned or

Blowing smoke into coffee cups -

A nation of heroes.

Who would wish Gericault had been happy?

That he had whistled painting corpses?

Or Baudelaire, or Faure? Too heroic.

Schubert one can feel bad about, no doubt

Part of the package. The man

Who invents an art built on happiness

Will be able to sell it by the microgram.