The Sound of Laughter

When my mother's mother passed away I wasn't ready to let her go. Even though I knew she was gone, there was a part of me that refused to accept it. In a daze I wrote this poem. My grandmother taught me many things. The most important, was to live my life without any regrets. She inspired me to speak my truth and to do whatever it was that my gut and my heart told me to do. I didn't want to end up looking back on my life wishing I had said or done anything differently. I didn't want to be an old woman who told the story the way I wished it had happened with the things I wished I had said or done. I still miss her. Most of all, I miss the sound of her laughter.

When Grandmother laughs

her earth shakes

Her hills and mountains

undulate

And a river of sound

flows from her mouth

Eh heh

Heh heh

Eh heh

Heh heh

The pools of water

in her eyes

Tidal wave leap

stream to her thighs

as she gasps to catch her breath

Hiccup

Hiccup

Hiccup

When Grandmother laughs

We all join in

shaking quaking

grinning skin

Howling gasping

coughing breath

No matter how much time goes by

It always feels like yesterday

Family gathered

while smiling I waited

Perched on the edge of a chair

My breath bated

Wondering hoping

Who will be the first

to make Grandmother laugh