Faces

What is with all the long faces

and strong faces?

The bitter, belligerent, and

red with rash?

The bitchy, itchy, and

twitchy?

Dastardly and depressed?

Confused, bruised and run amuck?

Keep doing that and your face will get stuck.

On trains, planes and automobiles (watch it, maybe you'll laugh),  

they are everywhere,

all over,

wherever you go,

wherever you turn,

look, glance, view, spy or stare.  

We are surrounded, crowded,

and chalked full.  

Packed, crammed, and slammed with

stranged and deranged, lost and confused looks,

glances and stares, stammers and snooks.  

Concerned and stuck, strangled and mangled,

torn and schucked, wrangled and spangled

they are grim with grit, wear and tare.

Are most people really unhappy?

Does everyone feel as crappy

as they look?

Look.

Going around and around with all these frowns –

“Brings everybody down,” as Bobby McFerrin sings.

Smile at someone or something

and see what feeling it brings.

See how it changes the mood, tone and scene –

everyone does not have to look so mean,

dissed and perturbed, stuffy and constipated,

pissed and disturbed, agitated and frustrated?

Whistle or smirk,

even if you are with a jerk.

Wink, stick your tongue out,

no time to pout

even if you’re having a bought

with the blues,

depression or bad news –

your expression is yours to choose.

Maybe a pucker or a purse

will remove that curse

and disperse and dispense

a reverse

in appearance.

A grin is not a sin

nor sticking the tongue

nor puffing the cheeks.

Will you leek

a look silly and sleek,

soft and serene, fun and exciting,

not serious and mean, nor stern and uninviting?

Maybe it is all these looks

that are rigidly firm and frankly disturbing

that has caused all this fighting?

As Mama T says: peace begins with a smile & let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.

Smiling is the beginning of love

and peace begins with a smile,

so wear one, put it on for a while

or even invent a new style.

Try one side up and another down,

like a half smile and half frown.  

At least you are halfway there

and I am sure you will get some people to stare.

A look of jubilee or joy,

will help destroy,

dispel and erase

that ugly look of disgrace.

What the hell,

heavens and heck?

We do not have to look like a wreck.

So,

what is your “go to” face?

Is it a snarl, an empty stare,

or a gnarled look of despair?

What's your look when you're outta luck?

When things go wrong?

When you’re singing the blues,

what look do you choose?

When life gets shitty and gritty,

a smile breaks the tension

and any apprehension

is lost in the curvature

of this infinite parabola.

Out of this facial sunrise

great surprises

are surmised.

Imagine yourself,

right now(!)

right now, imagine yourself

at your moment of death,

when you die...

Do you have a smile or a look so rye?

Do you imagine yourself in pain

without refrain

with a look that is strained

or in a hospital with tubes and machines,

sterile and white surrounded by screens?

Do you see yourself alone

or like an empty drone

waiting for someone to throw you a bone?

Do you imagine yourself a jubilarian, a joyous celebrant?

A blissful intoxicant

for family and friends surrounding your bed

as they bid you farewell on your journey ahead.

Every facial seed you plant

and daily feed

will eventually heed

your final expression.

What is your lasting impression

going to be?

What will others see

when it’s all said and done?

Time to lighten up and have some fun.

When there is nothing left to do

and it is just you and you,

are you going to smile, smile, smile?