Please, Don'T 'Laugh '! Smile! Poem by Veeraiyah Subbulakshmi

If people smile at us, we have to smile back,
Otherwise we may offend them with our disrespect.

If people laugh at us, should we have to laugh back,
otherwise they may think that we are worms.

We are not worms for anyone to step on us,
for them to have the feeling of stepping on us.

We are the tortoises or simple snails,
when we are stepped on, Let them have that feel.

Let us be safe inside our protective wise shell,
while they shadow themselves with guilty pride.

When people have every right to laugh at us,
we have every right to laugh at them. Smile, please.