Clowns are supposedly
joyous sweet souls
used in circus often
in quite specific roles
they spend time
filling those intevals
whilst the ring is being laid
but often masks and make up
are not a true fair trade
they frighten
they astonish
may be even admonish
its over the top
with colours that
frighten those that see
they notice the extremes
perhaps
and its could be different colours
not as nature made them
that changed personality
clowns are quite grotesque
and behind those masks
we see
not always perhaps never
happiness a plea
the mask is representatatve
of what in fact is real
a sad depressed old character
whose not where he wants to be
or does he
is he
or would he
what does it conceal
strange colours are perceived
perhaps by children
to be weird
the clowns are fooling about its true
but the fixed grimace is feared
it can be quite horrific
an alien wild cat leaps
out of one dark nightmare
into a child who sleeps
Rex Tyler is a Poet, Campaigner, former owner of an organic shop of 30 years, and Public Speaker living in Berkhamsted, UK.