Don’t Laugh
There are belly laughs
and jelly laughs.
Accidental smelly laughs.
Chuckle deep and chortle ones.
Snigger soft and snortle ones.
Clutch your tummy, can’t take no more.
Laugh so hard you’re on the floor.
Leaky laughs and freaky laughs.
Sideways-looking sneaky laughs.
Laughs that make you roll around.
Some that hardly make a sound.
The ones where tears pour down your cheeks.
The kind that make you grin for weeks.
Laughs that erupt like a joyful sneeze.
Laughs that bring you to your knees.
Honking laughs.
Giggle laughs.
Massive stonking wriggle laughs.
But the laughs I like the most of all,
are forbidden laughs in the assembly hall.
and jelly laughs.
Accidental smelly laughs.
Chuckle deep and chortle ones.
Snigger soft and snortle ones.
Clutch your tummy, can’t take no more.
Laugh so hard you’re on the floor.
Leaky laughs and freaky laughs.
Sideways-looking sneaky laughs.
Laughs that make you roll around.
Some that hardly make a sound.
The ones where tears pour down your cheeks.
The kind that make you grin for weeks.
Laughs that erupt like a joyful sneeze.
Laughs that bring you to your knees.
Honking laughs.
Giggle laughs.
Massive stonking wriggle laughs.
But the laughs I like the most of all,
are forbidden laughs in the assembly hall.
This poem is copyright (©) Paula Thompson 2024
About the Writer
Paula Thompson
Paula is a children’s writer and former newspaper journalist from Hampshire with an MA distinction in Writing for Children. She is a winner of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Undiscovered Voices competition and longlisted as one of London Library’s Emerging Writers 2024/25. Paula’s poetry and fiction for children has featured in various publications in the UK and overseas. She is very excited to be taking flight on The Dirigible Balloon!
