Laughter sort o’ settles breakfast better than digestive pills;
Found it, somehow in my travels, cure for every sort of ills;
When the hired help have riled me with their slipshod, careless ways,
An’ I’m bilin’ mad an’ cussin’ an’ my temper’s all ablaze,
If the calf gets me to laughin’ while they’re teachin’ him to feed
Pretty soon I’m feelin’ better, ’cause I’ve found the cure I need.
Like to start the day with laughter; when I’ve had a peaceful night,
An’ can greet the sun all smilin’, that day’s goin’ to be all right.
But there’s nothing goes to suit me, when my system’s full of bile;
Even horses quit their pullin’ when the driver doesn’t smile,
But they’ll buckle to the traces when they hear a glad giddap,
Just as though they like to labor for a cheerful kind o’ chap.
Laughter keeps me strong an’ healthy. You can bet I’m all run down,
Fit for doctor folks an’ nurses when I cannot shake my frown.
Found in farmin’ laughter’s useful, good for sheep an’ cows an’ goats;
When I’ve laughed my way through summer, reap the biggest crop of oats.
Laughter’s good for any business, leastwise so it seems to me
Never knew a smilin’ feller but was busy as could be.
Sometimes sit an’ think about it, ponderin’ on the ways of life,
Wonderin’ why mortals gladly face the toil an care an’ strife,
Then I come to this conclusion—take it now for what it’s worth
It’s the joy of laughter keeps us plodding on this stretch of earth.
Men the fun o’ life are seeking—that’s the reason for the calf
Spillin’ mash upon his keeper—men are hungry for a laugh.
(Edgar Albert Guest)
More Poetry from Edgar Albert Guest:
Edgar Albert Guest Poems based on Topics: Man, Joy & Excitement, Life, Smiling, Night, Laughter, Summer, Reasoning, Health, Business & Commerce, Travel- Baby's Got A Tooth (Edgar Albert Guest Poems)
- Story-Time (Edgar Albert Guest Poems)
- The Change-Worker (Edgar Albert Guest Poems)
- Runner McGee: (Who Had "Return if Possible" Orders) (Edgar Albert Guest Poems)
- The Lay For The Troubled Golfer (Edgar Albert Guest Poems)
- When Father Played Baseball (Edgar Albert Guest Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Man Poems, Life Poems, Night Poems, Joy & Excitement Poems, Smiling Poems, Summer Poems, Laughter Poems, Reasoning Poems, Business & Commerce Poems, Health Poems, Travel PoemsBased on Keywords: mash, riled, laughin, smilin, nurses, pullin, cussin, wonderin, teachin, digestive, bilin