what happened to the smile?
i noticed it this mornng after i showered and shaved. i looked in the mirror and i noticed that what used to be a smile always on my face was no longer there. the sides of my mouth were turned down and i saw not a smile but a frown…a sad face with a frown. how could that be? i always had a smile but now it was gone and try as i might it would not return. all my efforts to smile resulted in a screwed up and screwed upon sadness of a frown. why was that? where did it go? was it a sign of unhappiness to come or unhappiness present? was it because i have not been able to sleep worrying about my future? if worry is unfinished business, what business could i finish that would result in a smile to replace the sadness in my face…the sadness in my eyes? why do i feel such an emptiness, such desolation? could it be the effort to do good deeds going unpunished? could it be the result of my longing to know what is next in my life…what lies around the corner? who will take advantage of me next? who will say, "so sorry, charlie, your hard work and effort will again go unrewarded?" how can my efforts to do things right again turn out so wrong? why does my effort to help seem only to hurt both myself and others? i do not know what happened to the smile.


