Mind That Joke
Do you have a good sense of humour, do you love a bit of fun,
Do you like really funny stories, a joke, a quip or a pun?
What has you laughing very quickly, or has you such repeating,
And is it only selected things, or any amusing thing?
Those things that have us laughing can reveal something unsound inside,
And I mean, that within our heart or mind, distorted tastes reside.
'Cause we should not delight in what’s racist, sexist, ghoulish or crude,
Nor in what is irreligious, thoughtless, unkind, or just plain rude.
It’s never right to laugh at others who’ve some disability,
Nor right to use someone’s mishap, even loss, as a source of glee.
And neither should we be mocking anyone’s nationality,
Nor their senility, their difference, or gullibility.
And neither should we use animals in a cruel or thoughtless way
To create a burst of laughter, and thereby, callousness display.
Neither animals nor humans should be used in such wrongful ways,
And why what some folk choose to laugh at, they should really reappraise.
Most of us love a bit of fun, and there is nothing wrong with fun,
But we need to be very careful regarding what’s said and done.
Many jokes are simply not worthy of seeing the light of day,
Like the bawdy, the macabre or perverse, that seem to come one’s way.
Yes, we all need a sense of humour, for such helps to see us through
Those hard times and those sad times, or when skies aren’t always cheery blue.
But hey, never should one’s humour sink to those levels that degrade,
And which verbally or visually another’s mind invade.
Therefore, let’s show respect for others, and the things that they hold dear,
Remembering how we would feel if the brunt of a joke or sneer.
And let us also remember that our fun will clearly display
Just what’s within our heart or mind, so let's mind what we do and say.
By Lance Landall