Levity and Gravity

Levity and gravity The weight of gravity and lightness of levity complement nicely Like a seesaw or ying and yang they are balanced precisely Levity may add the touch of light relief in a minuscule dose But too much is like bubbles ascending up one’s nose Frivolity or levity in a situation of gravity If timing and humour are used in proportionality Can lighten a grave matter of intense sobriety Overdo levity and it will make a mockery of a funeral However if the lightness is only rather ephemeral At a crucial point of solemn gravity A fond memory recalled with levity Will lift the congregation in entirety Gravity and levity played their roles in scientific history The force of gravity was thus no longer such a mystery After that falling apple landed on Isaac Newton’s head I dread to think of the loss to physics if it missed him instead Now the pinnacle of levity was not a plane or hot air balloon But when man defied gravity and levitated to the moon A Latin scholar taught me the root words gravitas and levitas In Roman times the former was a veritas and latter only vanitas A Roman leader would hope to possess dignitas and gravitas While a feckless fool was likely to exhibit imbecilitas and levitas But words and their definitions become archaic or evolve Not unlike the rise and fall of empires which sometimes just dissolve