A Gleam from Slow Lake at Dawn

It’s not a great word, glad,
But it has its uses,
Which can be important—

It’s history’s a clue
Why, since it used to mean
Visibly shining, bright,

An expression of joy
And pleasantness derived
From an analogy

To being gleaming, smooth,
And its adjacency
To happiness, delight,

And pleasure drawn in turn
From that sense of joyful,
Approaching gratitude,

But not quite. To be glad
Is to be delighted,
With a tinge of relief

Maybe, but in its own
Right. You can be simply
Glad, no obligation,

No exchange, no trade-off
Social or otherwise.
Glad is independent

Of the trading networks
Of goods and emotions,
Status asymmetries

And debts that condition
Gratefulness and mercy.
Glad just gleams and is glad.