Ho! this is Mirth, fat-cheeked and laughing-eyed, And wide of mouth where impish dimples lurk In playful negligence—content to shirk The earnestness and sober sense of pride, And prank about gay lips that oft divide In grins that ripple with content and smirk Of perfect joy or sly, satiric quirk That smacks of roguishness personified. And is this not the best—to make a jest Of life and sweep the veil of sorrow by; To steep the soul in mirthful carelessness, And turn unheeding ears to care's behest, Ambition's strident call or sweet love's sigh? Ah, Mirth, a truce; that grin may mask distress! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...PORTRAIT OF A BABY by STEPHEN VINCENT BENET BURNING DAWN by HAYDEN CARRUTH CONTRA MORTEM: THE SUN by HAYDEN CARRUTH A MAN'S VOCATION IS NOBODY'S BUSINESS by JAMES GALVIN AFTER THE PAPAGO by JAMES GALVIN BROTHERHOOD by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON |