There is a kind of glee
That makes one slap the knee
And roll around soundlessly,
Tears outpouring from one's eyes.

A kind that rolls around the seas,
And leaps into the playground leaves,
And slips amid the shifting sands,
And dashes with the dancing rain.

A kind that's like a bellow forge,
Blazing fire deep within,
And catches fire in other souls,
And for a while uplifts hearts.

A kind that mimics hyenas,
Skipping around so gleefully;
Embarrassingly filling cantinas,
Yet when children do it sounds so silly.

A kind that sings so quietly
Inside the soul quite willingly,
Only showing in a small smile,
Shining forth under firelight.

A kind that echoes chillingly
And fills its foes so fearfully;
Filling their backbones up with ice,
Gripping their heart with cold black fear.

There's a kind that jeers in the ears
And laughs at others' sorry plight.
At others' expense they laugh,
Pointing their fingers meanly.

And a kind that's pointless, meaningless;
It is used only to agree,
To gain approval and allies.
"Just smile and nod," that's what they say.

Then an awkward, halting laughter
When you don't know how to respond,
Or when you say a joke but then
No one hears or finds it funny.

Then a kind so welcoming,
It invites all people in;
They calm right down and want to stay,
And by the warm hearth always lay.

-Anne B. Caitlin

It's interesting how many kinds of laughter there are. Try to list all the kinds of laughter (without looking them up ;P) in the comments below!