Banish all sad thoughts from your mind to make room for joy and laughter <br />For this may be the only life you'll have there may not be a <br />hereafter <br />The years go by so quickly and time we cannot borrow <br />And make the most of this day there may not be a tomorrow. <br /> <br />The ageing bloke across the way is bent from toil and labour <br />He spends most of his spare time quarrelling with his next door neighbour <br />He claims his neighbour built the fence six inches on his side of the border <br />And the cops have even been around to restore law and order. <br /> <br />He gets so angry and worked up about a trivial matter <br />And he's not a happy man at all he seems 'mad as a hatter' <br />He's hoary gray and three score years and he's not short of a dollar <br />Yet about a few inches of ground he gets 'hot under the collar'. <br /> <br />But like him there are many more who like to stir up trouble <br />Who argue over trivial things the anger in them bubble <br />They grumble like baby in the cot who needs a change of nappy <br />If they had laughter in their hearts they might learn to be happy. <br /> <br />This may be our only chance of life there may not be a hereafter <br />So why be angry, sour or sad when these feelings suppress laughter <br />The angry man with his neighbour quarrel and to his grudge keeps clinging <br />Whilst the carefree one knows how to smile and his laugh with joy is ringing.<br /><br />Francis Duggan<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/laughter-13/
