“GIGGLES” by Gary Rhule 08/11/14
I love to laugh rather than cry,
To equilibrate the scale.
For in this life I know more tears will come,
Just when I thought they’re done.
I laugh to hide my scares and fears,
And guffaw at a funny joke.
Don’t take it wrong.
It’s not that I’m an insensitive bloke.
The other day the tears came softly,
As I recalled the grief
Of losing what was dear to me.
The pain so raw, so pungent.
Without a warning the rivers flowed,
As I counted up regrets,
Of things I’d said,
Of tasks undone,
Of promises not kept.
Then there were the disappointments
Of all the paths in life.
A love that chose another,
A job desired given to a friend instead.
Of moments spent lollygagging,
And in the end,
It was no fluke,
My time dispersed, diffused.
So when I find myself
Down there in the deep dark blue abyss,
I remember giggling children,
And feel the lightness there.
I know to get over grief’s hurdle
You must fulfill time in that room.
But at the end of crying,
Close the door and move.
I laugh when in an airplane,
Embracing all the sights.
The lush landscape below my feet,
The clouds right by my side.
The blue horizon kissing,
Saying, “Welcome, don’t you feel
The humor of life’s beauty,
The clapping of the seas?”
Majestic snow-capped mountains,
Hills and vales and plains.
A giggling brook carving out a path,
Through solid granite rock.
We’ve heard it said
That children laugh three hundred times a day.
At funny things, at clowns and gowns,
At shapes and brightful colors.
And then sometimes they laugh out loud,
When it is simply nothing.
I only wish to remember more,
To laugh out loud just like a child.
To balance life’s reality,
And keep the tears at bay.
Laugh out loud,
Don’t hold it in.
Just let it rip for sure.
Laugh out loud,
So that others know,
There is a joy tickling within.
A smile, a laugh that’s bubbling now . . .
A shout, a yell, a roar!
Twenty percent of Americans are living with a mental health diagnosis such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, stress, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), dementia, and schizophrenia. Roughly that is 60 million persons in the U.S. alone.
Mental illness is the great equalizer: it affects all segments of society. The other numbers are staggering: more than 11 million Americans have severe schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression yet millions are going without treatment as families struggle to find care for loved ones. 23 million persons are living in recovery from alcohol and substance abuse. 65 million of us are caring for a family member affected by mental illness or disability, and spend about 20 hours each week, in addition to our full time job, caring for them. Every year around 39,000 persons take their own lives when they lose hope, and do not feel that help is available, and that recovery is possible. But, we know that it is. That number is more than twice the number of homicides each year, 17, 000.
Individuals and families recover from mental illness with early intervention, timely treatment, and effective support systems. Isn’t it time that we stand and work together, and ask our legislators to create sound policies and craft solutions? The time is always right to do the right thing. If not now, when?
It’s like you read my mind! You appear to know so much about this, like you wrote the book on it or something.
An excellent read.
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