laughter

[For Georg, my Austrian friend]

“Und Du,
wie ich an Dir immer erinnere,
lächelst und lachst.”*

           *

Strange how laughter

your laugh

echoes through my mind

happy pealing

I hear you chuckling

and cackling

chortling

and guffawing

as if in the room

right this instant

but the memories

if unfaded

are years old

the heartiness

the joie de vivre

the vivacity

invigorates me

revivifies me

even now

as your laughter

as you

did then

such capacity

for joyfulness

on the web a business photo

shows you smiling

with brio

an emailed private photo

shows you laughing

with gusto

naturally

never giggling

or sniggering

only paroxysms

of ebullient

exuberant

laughter

pleasant reminiscence

enveloping sense

warming glow

I smile,

sigh, Heigh-ho!

then chuckle again

at my Austrian friend

and his dégagé laughter





* "And you, as I always recall you, smile and laugh."