The Science of Joy [a poem]

They say laughter lowers cortisol,
that a smile—however faint—
can tilt the chemistry of the mind,
turning stress into something
the body can release.

Joy, it seems, is not merely an emotion—
it is a physiological event.
A quiet rebalancing.
A shift in the inner atmosphere.

A single moment of delight
can soften the heart’s cadence,
loosen the breath,
invite light into places long dimmed.
Endorphins rise,
the immune system stirs,
and the weight of the day
grows mercifully lighter.