This poem is to honour that laughter that I still hear.
As a child Matthew’s laughter was infectious. He had one of those laughs that you ended up laughing with. Many was the time he was laughing about something that he should have been told off about and I would start to be stern only to ending up laughing along with him. It was a laughter you could hear across play grounds and in crowded noisy rooms. It rose above the noise, clear, strong and vibrant.
As he grew into teenage years he didn’t laugh as much. It was something I often missed. The process of growing into manhood seemed to still his laughter. Yet on occasions his laughter would still rumble – now it was deeper, still strong and clear particularly when he was being irreverent or reminding me that life shouldn’t be so serious.
With his passing, it is the echo of his laughter I still hear. That infectious laughter, as if he is reminding me to “lighten up” and stop being so serious.
David Kernohan
It is a great pleasure to introduce David's 'Laughter' poem to you. His words speak for themselves...no others are needed!