Rondo

If you are happy you will be sad
If you are sad you can be happy
If you are happy Daddy says control yourself
If you are happy Mommy wants to be happy too
If Mommy is happy you must be sad
If you are sad Mommy feels better
If Mommy feels better Daddy is happy
If Daddy is happy Mommy is happy
and you can be happy too but not too happy
Then Daddy gets angry then Mommy is sad
When Mommy is sad you are sad
When you are sad Mommy is happy and sad
When Mommy is happy and sad Daddy is sad
When Daddy is sad Mommy is happy
then you can be happy but not too happy
When you are happy Mommy is unhappy
and Daddy is unhappy and you are unhappy too
When you are unhappy Daddy is angry
When Daddy is angry Mommy is angry
When Mommy is angry you are angry too
When you are angry you are afraid
When you are afraid Daddy is angry
When Daddy is angry you have to disappear
When you disappear you are in the box
When you are in the box you are safe
until Daddy opens the box
When Daddy opens the box he is sad and happy
When he takes you out of the box he is happy and angry
When you are out of the box you are scared and happy
When you are scared Mommy is scared
When Mommy is scared you are scared
When you are scared you are sad
When you are sad you can be happy

Repeat

From the recently completed manuscript, The Odyssey of Yes and No. First published in Ploughshares.