“Happiness a key quality at the ‘top 10’ schools, says rector” (so says university of the free state rector and vice-chancellor Jonathan Jansen – Cape Times, circa december 2013); whilst Joe Samuels, a university colleague-past, wonders about us “wishing each other a happy new year”, perhaps thankful that we are not a volcano like iceland!!

The happiest people
Are in (volcanic) Iceland
Denmark and Sweden

Happiness is
Something else lsoi
To our politicians
And their hangers-on
In the hawking season

It is not the same
For you shacked
In an exotically-named
Patch of land near me

Be it Bonteheuwel
Beverley Park
Barcelona or Bishops
(court that is)

Happiness is
Or should be
A key quality
At our schools

(rather than
The too many
Rigid miserable
Almost militaristic
Environments)

The happiest children
Live out yonder
In Mexico Spain; Brazil

(we say children should be
Seen and not at all heard)

Happiness is not
A check-box subject
Though some say
Perhaps we should
Subject ourselves