Thanks to a dear college friend, I was reminded that what the world needs right about now is a generous dose of Laughter!

Granted, the world’s condition is not very laughable at the moment, so I was not even close to thinking of Laughter as being the subject for May’s Poem of the Month. Then, upon researching the internet for some wise words on the subject, Socrates explained to my satisfaction that “The Comic and the Tragic lie inseparably close, like light and shadow.”

And George Bernard Shaw further explained, “Life doesn’t cease to be funny when people die, any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.”

So, Allegra — dear friend — thanks for the prod! I needed it!

LAUGHTER

Laughter has been called an instant vacation…
It is sunshine in the house… it has no foreign accent.
It’s the shortest distance between two people;
That it makes you feel happy is no accident.

When you laugh, your body produces endorphins —
Hormones which relieve your pain and your stress.
Endorphin release gives you a natural “high…”
A feeling of well-being and hopefulness.

Socrates said, “The Comic and the Tragic
Lie inseparably close, like light and shadow.”
We are constantly comparing one to the other,
And pondering what reaction might be apropos.

George Bernard Shaw confirmed this premise…
In fact, it could even be his monograph:
“Life doesn’t cease to be funny when people die
Any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.”

It’s said that an optimist laughs to forget
While a pessimist forgets to laugh at all.
e.e. cummings said “The most wasted of all days
Is one without laughter” — morning to nightfall.

Lots of people have contributed an opinion
On the value of laughter in our daily lives.
I’ll throw a few in to amuse and enlighten
Your awareness that laughter will help you to thrive!

“A good laugh heals a lot of hurts.”
So says Madeleine L’Engle — so wise.
Mark Twain: “Against the assault of laughter,
Nothing can stand” — no need to analyze.
Lord Byron quoted: “Always laugh when you can!
It’s cheap medicine.” — it’s true, I realize.
Erma Bombeck said, “When humor goes,
There goes civilization!” — a need to dramatize!

“You don’t stop laughing because you grow old;
You grow old because you stop laughing!” It’s true!
Michael Pritchard shared those very wise words.
Please share them with others. They will thank you!

Laughing is always the best form of therapy.
It’s the opposite of being sad and downcast.
Laughter is mankind’s most effective weapon.
As Mary Poole stated: “He who laughs, lasts!”

There are three words in the English dictionary that bring on a gut-wrenching reaction in my body these days… because I see all around me the results that the meanings of these words have wrought…

The first word is APATHY… its meaning: absence or suppression of passion, emotion or excitement… having lack of interest or concern.

The second one is SKEPTICISM… its meaning: a skeptical attitude of doubt as to the truth of something.

And, finally, CYNICISM… part of a defensive posture taken to protect one’s self, typically triggered when one feels hurt by or angry at something; and instead of dealing with those emotions directly, one allows them to fester and skew his or her outlook.

Clearly, withdrawing from our world, leaving it up to “the other guy” will not change anything… in fact it is the act of giving consent to those who are leading the charge against kindness, compassion, and cooperation to make this a better and safer world.

This poem almost wrote itself, once I put pencil to paper. I feel so strongly that we must actually care about where the conditions of our world are going. Caring means getting involved, and acting, and being a part of things, not just standing around, observing and criticizing, and wishing things were different, or better, somehow.

CYNICISM

When you come right down to it, cynicism is fear,
Or maybe something worse, like being disengaged.
Cynicism is judgment of the very worst kind:
It’s judgment without all the facts, then becoming outraged.

A strong movement of cynicism is sweeping our nation.
People trust the systems that are in place less and less.
Now, granted, we’ve been lied to, but that’s nothing new.
Do you make the effort to learn the truth, or simply acquiesce.

Cynicism kills the joy. It’s a toxic spiritual state.
It can masquerade as wisdom, but becomes fatalistic.
Cynics may have the loudest voice, but will accomplish the least.
They’ve given up the cause, no longer optimistic.

Cynics will reject the world as they see it
Because they’re afraid it will hurt or disappoint.
Cynicism acts as a shell to protect that little part
That tries to live inside them — the more hopeful viewpoint.

Cynicism is an obstacle to social evolution.
It’s a self-imposed blindness to a more positive outlook.
Norman Cousins called it “intellectual treason.”
(A world peace advocate, Cousins authored many books.)

There are two main emotions that drive all our decisions:
They are EITHER love OR fear; that’s a remarkably large split!
It seems to have come down to one or the other
With no give and take, and no benefit.

With fear there’s anxiety, jealousy and anger;
There’s cynicism, too… much unhappiness!
But with love there’s joy and gratitude,
Compassion, creative thinking and above all, kindness.

We can destroy ourselves by cynicism and disillusion
As effectively as we can by bombs.
It’s self-defeating, but when shared by many,
We carry fear and hate to our tombs.

When optimism and hard work triumph over cynicism
It’s a time for joyous celebrations.
Optimism is hard, and being part of the solution is harder,
But it’s the only thing worth doing for ourselves and our nations.

The March 2022 Poem of the Month, Adaptability, was written last fall, and included among the 24 poems I wrote to my kids for Advent. Somehow, now seems to be a good time to share it with all of you.

The times now are strange, and seem to be getting even more strange, with what is going on around us, and all over the world! How do we cope with all the changes that are circling around us… and around the rest of the world? Sometimes I feel like Ziggy, the little newspaper cartoon character standing alone and looking forlorn. His words are: “Every time I figure out where it’s at… somebody moves it!” Truly, that thought enters my consciousness every now and then.

So, for me, staying adaptable (which fosters creative thinking) is a pretty darned good way to deal. It works most of the time for me. How about you?

Remember, Whatever the question, love is always the answer.

ADAPTABIITY

Have you noticed that life doesn’t always stay the same?
And have you noticed that in order to survive,
Your ability to adapt plays an all-important role…
It’s a skill worth having if you want to stay alive.

Darwin said survival of the species depends upon
The ability to adapt to change (which can be difficult to foresee).
Remember, change is the constant. (It’s the only thing that is.)
Strength or intelligence, alone, is no guarantee.

A humorist by the name of Anon Y. Mous
Once made this statement (now, please don’t yawn):
“When something goes wrong in your life (and it will)
Just yell ‘Plot Twist,’ [regroup] and move on.”

There’s honesty in humor, quite often, because
It eases your move into “truth” with less pain.
Adapting to change requires flexibility,
And a dose of humility — creativity to attain.

It can be said that all failure in your life
Is failure to adapt to the change that is occurring.
Adaptability is the simple secret of survival.
This I believe, and surely you’re concurring.