Sunday, February 8, 2015

The Clown


In the tumble glass sound
the clown wanders fierce
carefully, oh, so carefully
prey to scorn-fill emptying
his heart -  soft sounds of
laughter a forgotten burst
vanished on the cold wind
they choose -to instill grim
rather than gayety - Scape-
goat he climbs one heap and
another of mad malice he grows
tired. Stumbling, blank, confused
until he passes the sunniest child
hears only the emit of gray groan -
This, this final flat failure of possibility
stamps the seal on his importuning soul
and the clown surrenders. Draws the thick
fleece of hope around his shaking shoulders -  
and stops, for now.
Waiting for the wound to close -
for the tickle of gentler times and
the rolling rollicked rumbled return
of joy


15 comments:

  1. i love the storyline going on in this

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  2. Oh those closing lines are just perfect!

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  3. Excellent, Pearl. As the poem goes on, I really begin to FEEL for this clown. And the picture you chose, with the beaten down clown, works perfectly with your poem. I do hope somehow his joy DOES return.

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  4. There is something very depressing about sad clowns. I liked the tone of your poem, Pearl. I hope for gentler times for your clown too.

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  5. The only thing sadder than a clown is our laughter at him... the narrative in this make this point for me.. excellent.

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  6. Loved this--I just assigned the Charlie Chaplin song -Smile --to a student this week--the sadness here was palpable

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  7. The alliteration at the end seems like a building up of the climactic approaching return of joy...very effective use of word choice and alliteration!!

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  8. Oh, what delicious alliteration to round it off! :)

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  9. I think clowns can teach us about sadness more sometimes than gladness....

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  10. Poor clown to have an intact sensitivity and compassion!

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  11. The black and white photograph really mirrored the aching grey soul wishing for colour and hope..i hope it comes back to him

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  12. authentic - the tough work of clowns, and poets too.

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  13. A marvelous look at the clown crying on the inside.

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