ben laughs in his sleep*

and his lips stretch
over gums and nascent teeth
what does he see?

by day his black eyes probe
and scrutinize
his brow furrows
he is will and force
and a personality that cannot be contained

but when he sleeps he laughs
and gurgles into his mother's shoulder

what movies play inside his eyelids
what pictures provoke him to glee?

or does he laugh because he knows it all
and he's not going to tell us?

---

*Poet's note: He also laughs when he farts. He is, after all, related to me.