What You Can, What You Can't

You can give yourself many things,
but not everything.

You can create a world of happiness for yourself.
It can be a good world where everything is wonderful,
but it can't be a world of joy.
You can't give yourself joy.

You can learn to take pleasure in the small things,
to hold babes when they cry,
and celebrate their little victories.
But you can't stop yourself,
from drawing significance from things that don't mean a thing,
nor from feeling nostalgia for places you've never been.

And sometimes you realize that you're just sitting in the back seat,
watching the crack in the windshield spread its legs,
while the rain comes down outside,
and washes it all away.