Where are the smiles,
In a starry night, or in a blue sky
In the blowing of the wind
In the resonance of music
In the sun’s burning touch on skin
In Farid Farjad’s weeping violin
In Baris Manco’s songs
Maybe in an Anna RF music video
Or in the brewing of tea?
What about filtered coffees?
Perhaps at a breakfast table
Or in a chocolate wafer we eat while walking down the street
No no, I think it’s in a cat’s fur
In touching it, in noticing its whiskers growing longer in the light, in its growing claws
In the prints its paws leave on a car
In short, smiling is in everything about a cat
In the florist opening their stall to start the day
Maybe in a crowded gathering of friends somewhere sometime
Really, where is smiling?
January 7, 2023