How many poets does it
take to screw in a lightbulb?
What’s a lightbulb?
Give me a dose of humor to cure the dis-ease
crowding me now that the shores are eroding and
annihilation is nie.
Satire has outlived
its purpose as correction is not possible,
though we could pause for a bit of absurdity.
It is ironic that we are not the first dead,
we who have destroyed the trees for books, firewood
and houses. Funny
that I tripped over elm roots
on my way home, ha-ha—ironic actually.
Pity that we haven’t more time to make language
more precise—you’d think that would be our first success.
Oh, look! Little
sister is trying a handstand,
bless her, and little brother is making faces!
They both collapse giggling and howling with laughter!
"Collapse" and "howl" —No. I don’t mean that. They lift
up
each other’s spirit, animate each other’s face.
Peals of laughter are joyous music to my ears.
And the breathing is full and deep through loving smiles.
I deliberately breathe humor to strengthen
my spirit for its journey beyond corporeal
reality. This smile
is catching, I see. It
circles the earth human glance to human stance.
We knock shoulders gently, and chips fall to the ground.
So many chips (smile)
and blue chips and stocks and bonds—
not worth the paperless statements they circulate.
Amusing that. See what kindnesses are revealed
when chips are down and all we have is each other?
when chips are down and all we have is each other?
Posted for Poetry Pantry #237. Written for my prompt
Poets United Midweek Motif ~ The Role of Humor in Our Lives See also Present Humor.
Copyright © 2015 S.L.Chast
WOW! This poem says a lot - the eroding shorelines as we sail on oblivious.......the vibrant children, having fun in the middle of all we have set in motion....I LOVE the chips falling off the shoulders, and the smiles. Fantastic write!
ReplyDeleteI love how smiles and laughter can lift up the spirits indeed Susan ~ Can't imagine life without our sense of humor to see through times when all the chips seem to fall down ~
ReplyDeleteDoes the phrase chip on the shoulder get used stateside? This made me think of that...how we must brush them off perhaps and look for the smile and follow her...
ReplyDeleteYes, exactly.
DeleteSo true, I think, sometimes when chips are down people do end up showing each other their kind side.
ReplyDeletei enjoyed your attention to 'word' play. and yet you managed to express a delightful rendition of a variety of situations and at the end hook us with emotion...when the chips are down
ReplyDeletegracias
One of the saddest things in life is to see and wonder at the beauty of life yet see it destroyed for such short term gain. I am not surprised the Elm tree took it out on you, I would have turned to it and said "I know, I know, I am sorry!"
ReplyDeleteI like how you end it, beautiful.
ReplyDeletethe ironies you have included in your poem put a smile on my face. it happened to me...
ReplyDeletethe image of the children's laughter are indeed priceless. a comforting picture
This is extremely clever coming to the conclusion to let our guard down and let those chips fall -- unconcerned and just meet each other eye to eye.
ReplyDeleteLife is too short not to smile and laugh. Smiles are certainly contagious. Thank you for your visit:)
ReplyDeleteRallentanda
i know what mean; we live paradox; we live irony
ReplyDeleteHave a nice Sunday
much love...
Such a lovely tenderness here Susan. I often think that aging is a series of losses that we can best prepare for with a smile and humor--that tears are not the only way to grieve--don't know if this makes sense--but it did to me when I read this piece this morning
ReplyDeleteLaughter is my only tonic many days as our world seems to implode....and yes we set this in motion....great irony here and I love, 'We knock shoulders gently, and chips fall to the ground.' So many chips need to fall.
ReplyDeleteThat which does not kill us makes us stronger. All the more so when we find the inevitable humor therein.
ReplyDeleteI like the chips from the shoulders! cool idea.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot in this--I read it several times to soak it in. I like your awareness of the shortfall of language even in English where we do have so many shades of words to choose from. So hard to grab the right one for what we are trying to describe. Good to visit you again after a long time.
ReplyDeleteOh, the many kinds of humour - some of which aren't funny!
ReplyDeletethough written in a serious tone... I see the joy in this
ReplyDelete"I deliberately breathe humor to strenghthen my spirit." Sometimes this is all we can contribute to the solutions.
ReplyDeleteI love this poem Susan. There is a lot of thought in it and it provides much to think about.
A lot to laugh at.
ReplyDelete