Hay-Ku of the Day (The Jailer of Joy)

A joke fools the mind
As the jailer of Joy and
Frees It as Laughter.

A joke tricks the mind
Into releasing Joy as
The Laughter of God.

[Rich Note: (Photo Caption) Grandma's Joy © 2008 RFHay; Though Grandma's Laughter and Joy is occasioned by the presence of grandson Josiah and not a joke, the operative principle is the same; Companion haiku: Divine Joy is freed as Laughter when a joke fools Its mental jailer.]

[Rich Note: This one was inspired by a short dialogue on "satire, irony and humor" with a Christian theologian named Len Sweet on Twitter, and is amplified by the following insight offered during the conversation: "Yes, and perhaps a joke aims at surprising, stopping and so enlightening egocentric/carnal mind of its deadly, self-preoccupation and in so doing lets the Joy of God momentarily break through the torn veil of self-thought and express as Divine Laughter."]

[Rich Note: Rev. Sweet's follow-up response, "You have 'a heart skilled to listen,' 1 Kings 3:9," is a perfect characterization of the source of insights (rather than the intellect as normally assumed) that no doubt (as indicated in Appendix A of OOMM) resulted from a 1978 prayer that asked God to"show me the Truth that I might share it with others."]

© 2008 RFHay