I’ll take gentleness –
it’s better than offense.
It gives a landing place
where anything that’s beastly
can snuff and settle,
turn around three times
and fall asleep, maybe even feeling
gratitude for being let down softly
I’ll take laughter – it ripples over
anything that otherwise might snag.
It turns a snarl into a song,
lets us feel happy,
lets us be together
as day glides into evening,
easy forgiveness replenishing affection.
©Wendy Mulhern
November 21, 2023
I’m here to celebrate
the transition into laughter,
the place frustration gives way
for something less mired,
that sees, perhaps, the same situation
but doesn’t sense a horrid consequence
Knows, somehow,
that it cannot be sunk,
bobs up, like a float,
rockets up, like a kick board,
gaining elevation from the downward push,
buoyancy launching it skyward.
©Wendy Mulhern
May 8, 2021
The fact that we’re here to save the world
doesn’t mean we have to be
serious all the time. There’s room
in the moments between
to be droll
There’s enough power here, after all,
that there’s no need to strain or struggle —
there’s room to be silly and soulful,
there’s plenty of space to laugh.
The world will be fine.
©Wendy Mulhern
December 23, 2017
Getting further down the line
of what I’ve called my life
I find that many things
that seemed of ponderous importance
make no difference at all
Whereas what really matters is
the times we’ve laughed —
the way they make a path
down which it’s easy
to laugh again, catching each other’s eyes
at the top of a giggle,
opening up the corridor
through which joy can bubble —
joy and belonging and some
wonderful forgiveness
for any former blaming
These places along which we’ve laughed
define the ways we know each other,
give the flavor of our family
where we come back, so eagerly, to drink.
©Wendy Mulhern
August 31, 2017