Smile

Smiling was never my strong suit,
It hurts my cheeks
And never really did anything for me.

One day
A little boy came along
And he smiled.
I looked behind me
And no one was there
And yet there he stood smiling.

What is wrong with this kid?
I thought to myself.
"What do you want?!?"
I asked, quite irritated.

"I want to see you smile!"
Said the still smiling child.
"Whatever for?"
I asked,
"Have you nothing better to do?"

He stood there and smiled.
I walked away and he followed.
I ran
And he followed.

So I stopped,
Turned to face my tormentor,
And raised one corner of my cheek.
He remained.
I raised the other corner,
"Happy!" I blurted out.

"Your eyes," smiled the child.
"My eyes?!?! What of my eyes?"
"They are not smiling."
"Eyes smiling! Well, I never!
How can they?
They have no lips!" I barked.

"Remember a time
When your every being was alive,
When you felt so much joy,
You would burst!
Remember for me," he begged.

I remembered.
I remembered my first dog
When he was a pup.
My father brought him home
Any mother put a bow on him.
When I got home,
They let him go
And he rushed to me,
Knocking me down
And promptly licking all over me.

I smiled.
"There it is,
Your eyes are smiling!"
And then he was gone.
I never saw that little boy again,
But the smile returned
Every now and then,
Like an old friend
And a good memory.