Jokes

Life is a joke to her,

            He announces in a voice

                        Steeped in superiority

I smile through the truth

            Knowing he fell for the lie

                        And bitter that he couldn’t see otherwise

Yes—life is a joke

            A cruel one that never ends

                        And has no punch line

It lashes at each in turn

            As others laugh at the hilarity

                        And don’t notice the tears

We play along

            We do as it says

                        And some of us—we laugh

But the joke keeps on going

            Despite the dying grins

                        Fading as people drop away

I laugh because

            It is that or crying

                        And mocking overrules giving up

I’ve never heard

            A joke so serious,

                        So willing to kill its listeners

But, sure, say

            Life is a joke

                        And I will laugh


By Megan