When a baby first smiles back
You know you’ve made connection
The smile you gave so willingly
Is paid back with affection
A girl I know when Margaret died
Told me a powerful thing
Whenever she saw Margaret
It made her smile and sing
My grandson Noah only two
I always catch his eyes
And smile at him I do I do
And he smiles back my prize
That smile tells him I love him
That I always will
And his smile back just fills my heart
It is the greatest thrill
But sometimes on the telly
I see a permanent grin
A person talking through a smile
To me it is a sin
The constant smile is false I say
It tries to buy cheap grace
But the smile that is prompted by our love
Is beauty in our face
Brian Fahy
12 January 2022
+ This poem is prompted by an article in the Guardian about a lady who suffered the loss of her ability to smile because of Bell’s Palsy.
Erris Poetry 