The Cost

Never saw anyone with a brighter smile, a quicker wit. Mundane chores were joke fodder; You convulsed at your own folly, Marked the hours by chuckles Grim labors lightened, In the steady stream of hilarity. What is the price you pay; For this cheer, this regular rhythm of life They have absorbed it, It is well woven into their beings. Do you let the tears fall? In spaces where you disappear The storms ravage in full measure, The memories, the grief The anxieties engulf you. Let the ramparts break. The large pictures on every wall, Keeps him near you. The candles you light Shine warmth into their little hearts. They reach out to him with small folded hands, Every morning, every night When it breaks my heart so, What is the toll on you? Now I am older, safety nets all in place I may not recognize you You will definitely not remember me But that funny voice, the effervescence A strand of that resilience I want to bring into my life One day I will stop by And fill up some joy.