JOHNMICHAEL SIMON POETRY

In British dating columns, many lonely heart ads placed by women list GSOH (good sense of humour) as a prerequisite for a partner.

 

It makes good sense to smile about misfortune

fiddle when your city’s burning down

watch overdressed old ladies slip in puddles

prefer to giggle rather than to frown

 

My grandma always told me grin and bear it

a beam a day warms better than a coat

my doctor says that laughing aids digestion

despite the flu, arthritis, bone in throat

 

Marie Antoinette guffawed her head off

the guillotine for her a piece of cake

while medieval witches joked and sped off

cackling in smoke while burning at the stake

 

So instead of fearing every lump’s a tumor

inspecting face in mirror feeling glum

remember that a well bred sense of humor

is every girl’s requirement for a chum