Laugh (a short poem)

When there’s nothing left in it for me
When there’s nothing left to do
When there’s nothing left for anyone 

I can only do one thing
Laugh

I laugh when I am confused
I laugh when I am angry
I laugh when I’m rueful
I laugh when I can’t do anything else

When someone insults me
I just laugh and think of something to say back

When I’m stuck in a bad situation
I laugh and try to think my way out of that position

When I make a mistake
I laugh and backtrack

I laugh when I’m ashamed
I laugh when I’m embarrassed
I laugh when I’m nothing but nervous
I laugh when I’m in need of doing something besides feeling what I need to feel

I can only do one thing
Laugh

I laugh to ignore my real feelings
I laugh to put on a façade of indifference

What really happens is that I’m afraid of what would happen
If I didn’t laugh
What would happen if I allowed for my emotions
to be seen
To be worn on my face
As obvious as the clothes that cover my body

I’ll tell you what would happen
I would still laugh

I would laugh and laugh and laugh

Through thick and through thin
All out and all in
Through pain and suffering
Through happiness and sadness

I still laugh

I laugh until the pain goes away
I laugh until I can’t take anymore
I laugh until it hurts to even move
I laugh until I can’t even tell what I was laughing about
I laugh until I lose my touch on reality

I laugh and

I laugh and
I laugh and

I will continue to laugh
Until everything catches up to me
And laugh until I can laugh no more