Jokes

I am eight
On the school
Playground when
A classmate tells a
Joke causing laughter.
I see the usefulness of a
Joke to divert attention or
Hostility then to sway opinion
Or help gain support even if
Jokes are childish or crude
And as a teen I read how
Lincoln used stories to
Emphasize a point but
Not just for the fun of
It always calculated
Toward some end
So I have tried in
My poor way to
Emulate and if
The goal isn’t
Apparent to
You then it
Will be in
Time so
Wait to
See a
Story
Unfold
As in these
Poor poems
A life examined
For you to grade.