Laughter

I hear the laughter. 

It echoes. 

It’s filled with happiness. 

It’s filled with a happiness that goes beyond words. 

 It’s part of running, playing, talking. 

The laughter echoes through my mind. 

Only, it’s just a memory. 

I don’t hear the laughter here. 

It’s gone. 

The only place it echoes is inside the heads of people. 

People who once laughed along with the laughter. 

The laughter that felt contagious now only exists as memory. 

Left to never be heard again.