Happiness is a go-cart

 Young children, who are try'd in

Go-carts, to keep their steps from sliding,

When members knit, and legs grow stronger,

Make use of such machine no longer.

 

-- Matthew Prior 

Happiness is a beehive

 As in the hive's vimineous dome

Ten thousand bees enjoy their home;

Each does her studious action vary,

To go and come, to fetch and carry.

 

-- Matthew Prior 

Happiness is the clear head of the morning

 As soon as Phoebus' rays inspect us,

First, sir, I read, and then I breakfast.

-- Matthew Prior

Happiness is belly-timber

 The strength of every other member

Is founded on your belly-timber.

-- Matthew Prior

Happiness is a ground-dwelling bird

 Have you mark'd a partridge quake,

Viewing the tow'ring falcon nigh?

She cuddles low behind the brake;

Nor would she stay, nor dares she fly.

 

-- Matthew Prior

Happiness is white teeth

We simple toasters take delight

To see our women's teeth look white;

And ev'ry saucy ill-bred fellow

Sneers at a mouth profoundly yellow.

-- Matthew Prior

The blushing poppy

Ypres, Belgium

Why does one climate and one soil endue

The blushing poppey with a crimson hue,

Yet leave the lily pale, and tinge the violet blue?

-- Matthew Prior (1664-1721)

Happiness is remembering Phyllis Diller

Phyllis Diller in her 40s

Paint, patches, jewels laid aside,

At night astronomers agree,

The evening has the day bely'd,

And Phyllis is some forty-three.

-- Matthew Prior (1664-1721)

Happiness is any machine at work

In a watch's fine machine,

The added movements which declare,

How full the moon, how old the year,

Derive their secondary power

From that which simply points the hour.

-- Matthew Prior (1664-1721)