Solitude - Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Laugh, and the world laughs with you;

Weep, and you weep alone.

For the sad old earth must borrow it's mirth,

But has trouble enough of its own.

Sing, and the hills will answer;

Sigh, it is lost on the air.

The echoes bound to a joyful sound,

But shrink from voicing care.

Rejoice, and men will seek you;

Grieve, and they turn and go.

They want full measure of all your pleasure,

But they do not need your woe.

Be glad, and your friends are many;

Be sad, and you lose them all.

There are none to decline your nectared wine,

But alone you must drink life's gall.

Feast, and your halls are crowded;

Fast, and the world goes by.

Succeed and give, and it helps you live,

But no man can help you die.

There is room in the halls of pleasure

For a long and lordly train,

But one by one we must all file on

Through the narrow aisles of pain.

- I love and hate how true this poem is. People are more than happy to share in your happiness and its when the hard times hit you may find the 'bestest' of friends actually don't care about you at all unless you have a smile on your face. "They want full measure of your pleasure but do not need your woe". Its so apt - everyone is striving for the ultimate happiness and will try to find this at the expense of someone elses sadness. I thank the tough times in my life for showing me who deserves my friendship and who doesn't...

one love...one heart...lets get together and feel alright...