Laughter

I feel that laughter is one of the (if not THE most) essential characteristics of the human condition. If you are not of this belief and feel affronted by the fact that i place laughter this high on my list, then please, carry on about your miserable, dreary life. However, if you are of the regard that there may be some truth to aforementioned statement, then please, join me in this venture into the mysterious origins of the human consciousness and laughter.

Many times within the poetry slam community, i have heard different versions of the 'stay away from funny poems', or 'bring the darkness' (a mantra i have grown to absolutley despise), or just people who do not have one shred of humor or lightheartedness in any of their material. Even a horrible cynical or sarcastic comment counts for me as humor, and is appreciated. Once, I remember in Texas for nationals, a poet (I believe from Texas), did a poem about how he can't laugh anymore (he might have been referring to poetry, i hope actually, as admitting that you can no longer laugh is the most dismal and slow of deaths and also draws a bit of bitter angst towards that person from myself) because of his job dealing with kids who have been abused. One of the poets i was with turned to me after that poem and said that from that point on in the bout, no one would be able to do a funny poem.

I scoffed (well i'm not sure if i scoffed really, but that is how i am going to recount this bit of personal history), and said that was exactly why there needed to be funny poem. To show the absurdity and stupidity of the earlier poem. Those are the kids that need laughter the most. There is no nobler goal than to swallow the pain and senseless violence in the world while returning nothing but a smile and chuckle of laughter to acknowledge the duality of all things in the universe. To only be willing to witness and take part in the travesties of human nature, no matter how golden paved the intentions are, is only a lonesome highway to the depths of a personal hell. So enough of this, and on to the laughter (which is far overdue in this writing exercise i know, but you may skip to the end for one my favorite jokes if you like, i'll wait)!!

Laughter has been called many things, none of which (that my limited experience has brought upon me) seem to be completely false, and also i might add, none of which seem completely true (in the sense of being a primary factor above all others). Some of my favorite explainations were along the lines of pshychology, but in a very amusing manner. The first one i wish to bring up was 'the secret in laughter is a return to nature'. I'm not sure how well founded this is, as mother nature would be a strange model to emulate our silly giggles and grins to (in a cynical or sarcastic sense, well maybe even in an ironic sense i can understand this as the basis for humor), yet it places laughter in a position older than speech and conscious thought, which i like.

A more eloquent and more obviouslly pshychological approach is that laughter is "the result of suddenly released repression, the physical sign of subconscious satisfaction". Another dandy idea, and in many cases would seem to carry a bucketfull of water, but again, it doesnt quite strike my sensibilities (maybe it does yours though? please leave me some comments telling me what you believe about the glorious joy of laughing).

I will keep it simple (if that is even in the realm of possiblility for myself), in that laughter is the soul, running an old tin cup across the iron prison bars of the body, remembering what it was like to be free. It makes us human, allows us to dance on the tips of razor sharp truths, and kiss the blunt end of reality when it delivers sledgehammer blows to the face. So i will leave you with a bad joke that i love (are there really any other kinds of jokes to love really?), and hope if you dont laugh at the joke, you will laugh at the idea that i think it is so grand a one.

Why is it that people never hear rabbits having sex?

cotton balls.