Ode To Gaiety (by James Broughton)

Go gloom
Begone glum and grim
Off with the drab drear and grumble
It’s time
its pastime
to come undone and come out laughing
time to wrap killjoys in wet blankets
and feed them to the sourpusses

Come frisky pals
Come forth wily wags
Loosen your screws and get off your rocker
Untie the strait lacer
Tie up the smarty pants
Tickle the crosspatch with josh and guffaw
Share quips and pranks with every victim
of grouch pomposity or blah

Woe to the bozo who says No to
tee hee ho ho and ha ha
Boo to the cleancut klutz who
wipes the smile off his face
Without gaiety
freedom is a chastity belt
Without gaiety
life is a wooden kimono

Come cheerful chums
Cut up and carry on
Crack your pots and split your sides
Boggle the bellyacher
Convulse the worrywart
Pratfall the prissy poos and the fuddy duds
Take drollery to heart or end up a deadhead
at the guillotine of the mindless

Be wise and go merry round
whatever you cherish
what you love to enjoy what you live to exert
And when the high spirits
call your number up
count on merriment all the way to the countdown
Long live hilarity euphoria and flumadiddle
Long live gaiety
for all the laity

I take myself and life way too seriously, do you too?

Change me God to one who laughs freely and easily, to one who counts my blessings, to one who has an eternal perspective.  And now, a few days after Easter, if Resurrection teaches me anything, it’s that I have nothing to ever fear and I can tilt back my head more often and laugh, knowing all is well and all shall be well now and forever.

ADDITIONAL QUOTES TO CONSIDER:

“Life is too important to take seriously.”  Oscar Wilde

“Trouble knocked at the door but, hearing laughter, hurried away.”  Ben Franklin

“You better have fun.  Because you’re going to be gone in a minute.”  Jamie Foxx

“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” Søren Kierkegaard

“What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner.” Sidonie Gabrielle Colette

“Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.” Joseph Campbell

“You will help more people through your joy than through your suffering.” Alan Cohen

“Remember that your natural state is joy.” Wayne Dyer

“Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God.” Teilhard de Chardin

“From silly devotions and sour-faced saints, good Lord, deliver us.” St. Theresa of Avila

‘A joyful heart is good medicine.” Proverbs 17:22

“Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.” Karl Barth

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