After the laughter comes the pain. This I have learned and learned it well. Can what I once had come again - such bliss to cause my heart to swell? Each sun-filled day, each sweet caress! After the laughter comes the pain; but after knowing such happiness, I can’t say that it was in vain. After the sunshine comes the rain, washing away the golden glow. After the laughter comes the pain. The love; the joy; where did it go? Like raindrops ever falling on my windowpane, this sad refrain remains - Black nights that have no dawn! After the laughter comes the pain. Aug. 16, 2019 for Joseph May's One In Four Poetry Contest