Spectator poems
From the magazine

Canned Laughter

Claudine Toutoungi
EXPLORE THE ISSUE 06 December 2025
issue 06 December 2025

I was considerably perplexed for a long time
as to how they ensured each can contained

a uniform amount. And what was the measurement?
Gigglebytes? Guffaws? Microsnorts?

I assumed there was a warehouse or depot
in HaHa-on-the-Hill or Chucklington

or some peripheral spot: HowlMart! or
Larfs-R-Us! in dayglo on the side,

but worried about the clowns who manned it
being drenched by their backfiring buttonholes.

How could they possibly handle bulk orders
in those absolutely massive shoes?