I Forgot To Laugh
by Charles Keller — Read all 159 poems by Charles Keller
A poem about the heartbreak of depression.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
To those who know depression
I just remembered I forgot to laugh
Last year and the year before.
It’s been so long I can’t remember.
It’s been so long, I’ve forgotten how.
But I want to laugh again.
You know, that laugh that takes your breath.
You know, that laugh that makes your stomach ache.
The one that makes you cry.
The one that makes you tingle.
You know, that laugh you can’t control.
I forgot to think about being happy
For a while. A very long while.
It’s been so long I can’t remember.
It’s been so long, I’ve forgotten how.
But I want to be happy again.
You know, that happy you feel when your child does well.
You know, that happy you feel when the one you love is happy.
The happy that makes you smile.
The happy that makes you sigh.
You know, the happy you can’t control.