Lilting Laughter and Lies

Laughter is something with different bents,
Depending on the message that is sent.
Just as tears are shed for many reasons,
Laughs are the signs of many seasons.
I know a woman who laughs at tragedy
She is simply built this way, you see.
It embarrasses her at funerals and such;
People may think she's been drinking too much.

My grandma and I laughed a lot, at many things
We often got baudy, when our stories took wings.
We could laugh at our diseases and laugh at death;
This was usually at her specific request.
This caused her to blush with embarrassment only when
We were caught in the act by my mother or her men.
I learned from this to choose carefully
Those, with whom, I let my emotions fly free.

There is sincere laughter that tends to heal;
There is also laughter that, as a weapon, we wield.
We must retrain our souls' ability to discern
The meanings behind signs of emotion we've learned.
A smile or a laugh can be meant to disarm,
Leading us to falsely believe we are meant no harm.
About the crying of tears, the same can be said;
Politicians and famous folks I've come to dread.

Laughter can be couched as friendship, when in fact,
It is a coward's way of launching an attack.
By opening souls with a show of shared mirth,
Many an hate-filled crowd has been given birth.
A smile may be used as a way to get close,
And find the weaknesses to exploit the most.
A tearful approach can soften the heart,
To use another's compassion,and rip them apart.

A sincere, sweet smile is not the same as a smirk;
The former is practiced by babies, the latter by jerks.
A smile or a tear when someone looks in our eyes
Helps us see if the emotion looks like truth or lies.
A laugh can be lilting, like that of a child,
Or a hearty admission that our plans have gone wild.
To laugh at another is often done to inflict pain;
This is not the way I wish new friendships to gain.

But to be among those who still have pure hearts,
And to share in the laughter that, from pure joy, starts;
To hold someone in tears and absorb some of their pain,
And to be with them as their spirits soar again;
To smile in the eyes of one without anger or jealousy,
And to feel this positive energy flowing back to me;
This is the form of friendship that I seek,
Affirmation that is given without having to speak.