Healing
A poem by Marcia Mitrowski

Healing

“A good laugh heals
a lot of hurts.”
     Madeleine L’Engle

How we all laugh the same
although our languages
skim the edges of our teeth,

arise from our damp throats
as frogs from spring ponds,
or slowly sneak between our lips

but when amused, our muscles
engage, we frolic in cool shade
lifting our heads back to howl

losing control of our wings,
flapping about, slapping laps
until tears soften our cheeks

and our mouths open wide
to drink joy from a bon mot,
an off color joke or a story

and then returning to ourselves,
we gather the feathers, adjust
our spine, slowly breathe in light.

About the Author:

Marcia Mitrowski is an English as a Second Language teacher working with refugees and immigrants. In her spare time, she gardens, takes nature walks, and paints. She’s also a docent at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum.

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