"I love you. I'm glad I exist": 'The Orange' and other poems on finding happiness in the precious ordinary

Often, poetry is so beautiful that it can hurt, but some poets capture the varied and exciting essence of life and living in such a way that is heart wrenchingly, optimistically beautiful. Here is a collection of such poems about life, love, and happiness.

1. The Orange - Wendy Cope 

The Orange captures the intimicay of friendship and the mundane places that it brings us joy. It also is a relatable and perfect account of the way memories stay with us: momentary things are recalled plainly, but fondly. It is a simple poem about happiness in the ordinary. 

2. Tea - Leila Chatti

Tea is a poem about moments we dedicate to ourselves. Self directed and deliberate kindness like lighting a candle, clean sheets, and moments of contentess. Chatti speaks about the simplicity of making tea, but we understand there is something more, meditative, almost rebellious in the act -- self love. Chatti speaks about herself as if she is a lover, a poet, or both. The poet she refers to at the end could be herself. 

3. It's All Right - William Stafford

Stafford's bubble in his soup is Wendy Cope's orange; the small things that can save our lives, and make us smile. Funnily, at the end of the poem, the undesirable circumstances haven’t changed, but the mundane has become precious, and lifeline-like. Notice the poem is titled 'It's All Right' not 'It's Alright' -- a perfect distinction and attitude towards existence; things are as they are meant to be.

4. The Perfect Song - Heather Christle

This poem speaks to the sanctity of moments. It reminds me of Achilles' quote in Homer's Illiad: “The gods envy us. They envy us because we’re mortal, because any moment may be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we’re doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again.” The beauty of things lies in their impermanence, which can seem awful, but also amazing. 

5. The Conditional - Ada Limón

The Conditional also speaks to the preciousness of moments because of their impermanence. It uses motifs usually used to express beauty and life and plays with the idea that we won't quite get to them. Whilst The Perfect Song discourages chasing the past, The Conditional discourages chasing an idealised future. It is a poem that takes the uncertainty and possible undesirableness of the future but brings the reader back to the present; we don't need these metaphors and the possibility of the future to find life beautiful, it says, looks at now, let's be content here.