All Over My Face

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe,
for the sudden rise of mirth
up through my torso,
rushing out my open mouth
to be heard: laughter.

Blessed are You
for the intimacy of a laugh,
bypassing my mental security system
to embrace a stranger.
Or, taking its place
at the dining room table
to remember for the hundredth time
when Papa split his jeans open
while trying a dance move.

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe
for the relational
bridge-building
of laughter.
For a moment I forget
all other things
to enjoy the one thing.
I am released,
reduced,
re-membered,
and it’s written
all over
my face.