Today I will share another poem with you. This one is by Phoebe Hesketh and is titled “Clown” in Poets and Poetry by Sadler/Hayllar/Powell. What emotions arise in you as you read it?
CLOWN
He was safe
behind the whitened face
and red nose of his trade,
vocation more certain
than doctor’s or priests
to cheer and heal.
Hidden away from himself
he could always make us laugh
turning troubles like jackets
inside out, wearing
our rents and patches.
Tripping up in trousers too long
he made us feel tall;
and when we watched him
cutting himself down,
missing the ball,
we knew we could cope.
What we never knew
was the tightrope he walked
when the laughter had died.
Nowhere to hide in the empty night,
no one to catch his fall.
The Clown is often depicted as sad, lonely person – a tragic figure. He has his uses in entertaining us and making us laugh. I wonder if we all take that role on at times when there is sadness underneath but smiles on the outside. I am sure we do – I know I do.
cheers for now
Lorraine
Related articles
- “The Life and Art of a Theatrical Clown” (iloveclowns.wordpress.com)
- i am clown (staytruetomyself.wordpress.com)
I believe we all do… Sometimes the laughter helps us cope with the sadness… It happens to us all. I love that wood sculpture; really neat. 🙂
Have a Happy Thanksgiving weekend! 🙂
Thanks Elizabeth. I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving as well!
cheers
Lorraine 🙂
Thank goodness for the WordPress playground filled with all sorts of interesting people and a person (that’s me) can be a happy clown on the outside and be transformed to a real happy clown on the inside too! Great poem and photo.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving.
thanks Sunshine 🙂 It is always lovely to get your comments.
cheers
Lorraine
Yes I think we do. I enjoyed this thought provoking poem
I can’t really relate to the hiding my feelings side, other people seem to know what mood I’m in better than I do!
There’s a word borrowed from the German language called “Schadenfreude” which means to garner enjoyment from the misfortune and misery of others. It’s an ugly thing, but honestly I think most of us do it. I catch myself doing it sometimes to boost my fragile ego.
Hi Joel
Yes, I think know what you mean by schadenfreude – There is always a sense of relief that the drama is someone else’s rather than our own.