April is Poetry Month

Laughter
[Such a strange looking word,
And why doesn’t it rhyme with
Daughter,
When they look like identical twins?]

Drumbeats of surprise,
Almost reflexive
Staccato explosions
Like hiccups in
Reverse

Tired chuckles
From bodies too exhausted
To support full lung movement
— even in amusement

Snickers,
Hidden, secret whispers
behind hands
Or under desks
or around corners

Cynical
Snorts
[Accompanied by rolling eyes]
Slip like scorn across a room

And the kind
That sneaks
Through the tears,
Undignified and
Somehow
Holy

Giggle,
Pure and Sincere,
Rises up from childlike throats
Ascending
Into the air like
Birdsong

Which kind will I
Inspire

Today?