These sounds bubble out of people’s mouths

But no sound is the same –

Some fill the room with it

Others are high-pitched

Short intakes of air

Others are silent

Others shake their shoulders

It brings them to their knees,

Sometimes to their stomachs

Its contagiousness can diffuse any situation

And embed an atmosphere of comfort

Laughter helps people forget,

If only for a moment,

What it feels like to hurt.