Chasing Contentment – a poem by Annelise St. Clair

Chasing Contentment

You elusive thing, you
essential element of the ordered soul,
paragon of the unhindered life—

You are sedentary, yet I must chase you;
selfless, yet you give of yourself only with struggle

with hard struggle

and so quiet I must drown the world’s enfolding noise 
to hear you whisper ancient wisdom.

Your modest presence adheres to no trends
and seeks no compensation from your followers.

You could never turn a profit
in these days of endless want.

Would that I could slow
my chase enough
to find you.

Annelise St. Clair is a writer and higher education program manager in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her poetry has previously appeared in The Harvard Ichthus.