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Recorded Reading: https://www.dropbox.com/s/wbhx5oryxf8auqa/Somebody%20Smiles.mp3?dl=0

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Somebody Smiles

We struggle to assemble
All’s needed for the day
Mustn’t be late for the job
Not a time to play

Making sure appearances
Satisfact’rily maintain
Wouldn’t want our presence
Giving anybody pain

Do we have our house keys?
Are we set for lunch?
All deodorized in case
It comes down to the crunch?

Will we wish return to home
Even though we’d better not
So spend the day doing without
Something we forgot?

Is that kid laughing at us?
Its mama laughing too?
Or have they something funny seen?
We sure wish we knew

Nerving selves the office for
Tightening the gut
Against the onslaught of all that
Water cooler scuttlebutt

Rushing off at lunch
To our neglected errands run
Wishing we could spend a little
More time in the sun,

Take a peaceful moment
Just a bit of ease
Before we go back to attempting
Everyone we know to please,

And then — somebody stops to share
A sunny, friendly smile
And suddenly all of that fuss
Seems much more worth our while

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This poet is physically disabled. Public housing being insufficient to her medical and creative needs, she is presently living, in order to continue working, in her minivan, publishing all of her works using one thumb on the touch screen of her smartphone, surviving at an income of a fraction of her nation’s poverty level. She would treasure any donation you might care to offer ~ http://www.UgiftABLE.com ● #72D-31S.

Please be aware that it takes several days for the poet to be notified of contributions. International contributors please contact the poet via email or post a comment for the necessary numbers.

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