Laughter Poem by Jerry Ratch

At the center of the world
our bodies float over each other
near to everything, at the center
of being

Not like arrows pointing in three directions
but like our own bodies
pulsing in and out

Laughter can cure nearly anything
it is said
it’s so precious
It’s like an undiscovered metal
no one knows anything about
yet

And when they discover how rare it is
O look out!
They’ll come to wage wars over it –
that’s how badly it is needed

It’s widely known
how we could live on laughter
alone

Not air, not water nor land
is more precious
Who cares about the apples hanging from trees?
Who cares about the lovely pomegranate?
We come to care little for the perfect orange

But for a small glassful of laughter
we would kill. Yes, kill