My niece asked on Facebook what makes us happy.

I will answer the shapes of stone

and the circles of lichen that bloom across granite surfaces.

There's ledge behind our house that I call Sleeping Dog Rock

for the way its back curves as if in sleep.

Deep folds line it, almost cracks,

which tempt me to a chisel, but I would never wake it;

soon enough, but after we've moved away,

the rock will break,

revealing its indisputable answer.

Leave a heart-shaped stone

in your gravel driveway,

to show it can survive the weight of wheels,

the weight of snow,

the wait for spring.

Don’t bring it inside

where warmth is easy;

think of it living in darkness

hour on day on year.

There’s no darkness

in the heart of solid rock,

and it’s clear what it helps you to remember.