no funny bones

did she ever

laugh?

barely, but only at the expense

of others.

i wasted

my best material

on her.

my hours 

and hours of freshly

hewn jokes

and observations

went for naught.

hardly a chuckle came

out of her

pretty mouth.

not even a smile

crossed

her face,

just a wince, a sigh,

and a

roll of her doll

black eyes.