Just keep smiling & keep laughing
never forget the power of a good laugh
how a genuine smile brightens dark days
how they make cheeks once hard as stone  soft and full —
a biscuit made from scratch
keep your head up  don’t be weary
for pain is
                       short — a trip to the gas station
                       temporary— a band-aid on a skinned knee
                       fleeting — a bird in the winter

it comes & stays for a bit   then finds its way home

Don’t cry
for a better word has been spoken  it resides within
it fills entire beings  leaving piping hot fluid
pulsing to limbs  rushing into brains
telling bodies how to move
how to become free
become whole
smiles sharper than scowls
hang above the chin no longer resting on stress bent knees

Don’t cry
unless tears of joy