Utterly Pixtitious!

IN SEARCH OF A SMILE

A few years ago one quiet morning, 
Nature lured me into it's heart, 
I kept walking midst daffodils and bluebells, 
Trailing absently into the thicket's deepest part.

I looked around what made a pretty picture,
The copious colors in a sylvan setting,
It was then that I noticed it's pristine beauty,
Which a string of words could never limn.

So far into the woods had it drawn me,
That I lost track of the time,
It was the setting sun that warned me,
That darkness was in line.

I began tracing my footsteps back,
I had hardly covered much,
When the night set in and everything went black,
I would have to find my way by touch.

I looked around for a place to rest,
My feet had gone all numb,
I settled myself at the foot of a tree,
where I was left to twiddle my thumbs.

I realized that silence had engulfed,
The forest had turned taciturn,
And not a sound from a single soul,
Yet I could feel the presence of someone.

I could feel the hairs stand on my back,
I turned to look around my tree,
With two laughing eyes and an impish smile,
I caught a face peering back at me.

"Oh, Don't be afraid", it said, prancing along,
And made itself home next to me,
Talking as if one, in every corner, can be found,
Introduced itself as a mere pixie.

While I was left totally bereft of speech,
Wondering if this were a dream,
The pixie, whose name was Shia, it said,
Had words trip out its mouth in full stream.

Unfazed by my lack of response,
It spoke of genies and nymphs,
Making me look around for my ruby slippers,
For sure I was down in Alice's province.

But as it kept chattering,
I felt the fears melt away bit by bit,
For its exuberance was infectious,
Soon I was warming up to it.

It spoke about a magical glade,
Where happiness prevailed,
It had been taken there by a kindly elf,
And promised that forever it could stay.

I had never seen a face light up,
The way that Shia's did,
Each time it mentioned the elf or it's friends,
The eyes shone behind batting eyelids.

We ended up talking through the night,
About all things, this and that,
I felt sorry when the rising sun announced,
It was time to start walking back.

As I bid my new friend a sad goodbye,
It asked me not to pull a long face,
That life was short and the pleasures it held too many,
In this happy world, a frown held no place.

And so that became my maxim,
I followed it religiously,
Smiling away even during trying times, 
Spreading happiness and glee.

A while ago I found myself,
Following the same sylvan trail,

But what must I find, instead of a radiant face,

Looking fixedly was one heartbroken and frail.

It had changed beyond recognition,
There was no smile in its eyes,
It's cheeks were tear-stained, it refused to speak,
Just broke into anguished cries.

When finally it did calm down enough,
To make more than inarticulate sounds,
It told me how its world had gone topsy-turvy,
Beyond unimaginable bounds.

It spoke about friends leaving,
And the elf was no more kind,
How misunderstandings and fights had taken over,
And how hurt had infected its own mind.

It had started to hate everything around,
Anger had made itself at home,
It was being called selfish and uncaring,
Even a callous being by some.

If only it knew what went wrong,
It had always wanted the best for everyone,

It was more than just willing to do anything,

To get every mistake of its, undone.

I sat by it watching helplessly,

Cry out for its perfect past,

I knew it would fix things if only it knew,

The reason for the shadow cast.

That had once looked upon the world,

with eyes filled with happiness and mischief,

Would never again smile through those long lashes,

Just shed silent tears of helplessness and grief.

But now I remember Shia's very own words,

"Goodness is ubiquitous; kindness dwells in every place"

So I am wondering if you could help me return the lost smile,

That had once adorned my friend's cherubic face.