(Laughter is essential to living.  So many varieties and uses too.)

Such a simple sound

With a multitude of names

The flirty titter

The polite chuckle

The friendly guffaw

The maniacal cackling

The drunken belly-laugh

More names come to mind

All of them the same

Yet undeniably different

Each one a laugh

As unique as a snowflake

High-pitched crowing

From an uncontrollable friend

Contained chortling

From a snobby observer

Birthed by one event

Over our years

Of hearing many forms

Laughs of nervous fear

And flowing joy

From coughing wheezing

Of old men on their benches

To drooling screeches

Of babies in their cribs

A man begins to wonder

To the purpose

Of such a simple thing

With all its varied forms