The Children Gathered 'Round [mark]
The children gathered 'round
after following the laughing clown
he was walking through the town
"he is so strong" a few would say
the anvil in his hands would sway
to and fro and up and down
the painted man with fear and frown
his tiny hat then hit the ground
loose change to beg as every day
for such a laugh they gladly pay
then all in a hurry
with floppy feet and flurry
and entertaining scurry
he the jovial jester may
with heave and haste be on his way
I liked this. My favorite line was "the painted man with fear and frown." Albeit cute to some, I always thought clowns had somewhat of a sad appeal to them.
ReplyDeletethe anvil line makes me think that the clown carries a weight around with him... maybe to make people happy even if only for a fleeting moment, yet his sad, painted face reveals his realization that he can do nothing.
ReplyDeleteYeah, anyway -- what is behind the paint? The appeal to clowns is stark: they actually wear the painted face that I wear only emotionally. A reality-meets-reality situation that freaks me out. Good poem.
ReplyDeleteGood structure. Good imagery.
ReplyDeleteIt does make you wonder how the clown really feels.
i hate clowns, but you made me feel for this one. i like the way this flows, like a really heavy nursery ryhme
ReplyDeleteI think I somehow missed the creepy? or otherwise horrifying? cultural reference that has made most of our generation averse to clowns.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the poem: I very much liked the mixture of emotions portrayed. Beautifully done.