All Nonfiction
- Bullying
- Books
- Academic
- Author Interviews
- Celebrity interviews
- College Articles
- College Essays
- Educator of the Year
- Heroes
- Interviews
- Memoir
- Personal Experience
- Sports
- Travel & Culture
All Opinions
- Bullying
- Current Events / Politics
- Discrimination
- Drugs / Alcohol / Smoking
- Entertainment / Celebrities
- Environment
- Love / Relationships
- Movies / Music / TV
- Pop Culture / Trends
- School / College
- Social Issues / Civics
- Spirituality / Religion
- Sports / Hobbies
All Hot Topics
- Bullying
- Community Service
- Environment
- Health
- Letters to the Editor
- Pride & Prejudice
- What Matters
- Back
Summer Guide
- Program Links
- Program Reviews
- Back
College Guide
- College Links
- College Reviews
- College Essays
- College Articles
- Back
The Pursuit of Happiness
Church bells ring all across the town
People hurry into a quiet, calm hall
As the priest speaks in a language unknown to me
I listen to every word like it was my own
The beautiful silence as hundreds kneel
Holding candles as you would a newborn baby
Staring at one human speaking in a desperate tone
The wave of realization hits me like a gust of wind
All the guns, terrorists, political polarization, and personal issues gone
It is a safe place with no worry and no rushing to the next thing
Everyone pauses for a moment in this town
Walking out of the church into the sunset over the hills and farms
It made everyone seem happy again
A rejuvenation of the spirit one might say
This is euphoric
This is happiness
This is the end goal
Or maybe this is the start of the next adventure
Andreas is a recipient of the 2020 John Edward Marshall Prize for English.