she would start
laughing hysterics
not demurely as the lady with a spanish fan
hiding her mirth
but belly shaking as the dancer with
cymbals, focusing her energy
on thumping the floor
with feet and outstretched hands
holding a beer bottle or cigarette in the air
as if her lungs cannot hold back the tides
of comic absurdity
of tall tales of hilarity
the sound was contagious as a virus
& we would fall "dying" on the floor
her laugher now echoes in my head
like a bookmarked page
in our family's album
Posted for dVerse Poets Pub - Poetics: Just for Laughs, Hosted by Mish. Join us at 3pm EST when the virtual doors of our poetry community opens. Thanks for your visits and comments.
I would wish more of such contageous laughter.... it sounds like a wonderful memory to have.
ReplyDeleteLove this especially; "belly shaking as the dancer with cymbals, focusing her energy on thumping the floor with feet." Gorgeously rendered, Grace 💖💖
ReplyDeleteWhat a vivid snapshot of her character and especially her laugh. Laughter makes such a lasting impression. This really brought a smile to my face.
ReplyDeleteLovely way to store her laughter
ReplyDeletemuch♡love
She sounds like such a fun person! Wonderful memories for you.
ReplyDeleteWell done, Grace! The wonderful sound of laughter is very contagious!
ReplyDeleteYour description of her is so fabulous. I can just picture her and hear the laughter she spread by just being her hilarious self. What a great poem.
ReplyDeleteI love the energy of the scene you’ve created, Grace. I especially like these: “as if her lungs cannot hold back the tides
ReplyDeleteof comic absurdity
of tall tales of hilarity”
And the end, how you compare the echoes of laughter with a bookmarked page of an album.❤️
This poem conveys the shared joy of laughter so well. Something so worth remembering.
ReplyDeleteHi Grace, this is a great poem. An excellent take on the prompt.
ReplyDeleteWhat a character - what a portrait - what a memory, Grace
ReplyDeleteI love the image I got from your description of her laughter.
ReplyDeleteI love the rich imagery in this Grace
ReplyDelete