Burlesque

Popcorn cannot forgive

laughter on contact,

joints ceramic without a net.

Go ahead, mock the crush,

call it acting, your clown hands

numb to the sting.

Odd burlesque in a dark ring.

Abrahamic slapstick.

No audience.  No applause.

I sleep on the unbruised side,

lock the dressing room door―
dream of crossing the tightrope, a star.

tk/February 2015

A sensitive read by R.A.D. ...

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the willies

Since it's Halloween week, and we're in the spirit of all things awful,
I must admit creepy humans, like Du Maurier's "Danny" Danvers,
are much more frightening to me than ghosts or spirits. Maybe it's
because I've lived for years in a house that's haunted by only kind
and gentle spirits. But, clowns, in my opinion, fall into the same
category of human scariness, as do murderers and saboteurs.

With grotesque face paint and mimery, a clown hides his true identity
from the public. I'm sure the majority of professional clowns strive to
entertain with pure motives. But, for me, clowns conjure certain
unsettling thoughts about disguising oneself, as a wolf in sheep's
clothing, in order to fool people. Partly to blame, is most likely the
yecchy painting, that hung in my bedroom as a little girl. No matter,
clowns give me a major case of the willies, and I'm not talking about
the Nelson variety, either.


Anti-Clown


If she showed up at my door
all whitefaced and Emmitt Kelly,
her rubber chicken
and hidden agenda,

I'd burst a balloon or two
by telling her to take a hike.
Go do her tightrope stunts
in someone else's living room.

Ride her weird clown bike
down the street,
where they would not oppose
her faux nose and floppy feet.

Frown smeared with lipstick,
the big top ringmaster,
tames her own lions
in slapstick disaster.



willow, 2009

why I don't like clowns

I wouldn't say I have coulrophobia, the abnormal or exaggerated fear of clowns, but I have a strong dislike for them. Ronald McDonald, Bozo and Krusty have never been, let's say, entertaining. The same goes for mimes. I realize Marcel Marceau was a talented artist, but mimes, to me, are smack dab in the clown catagory, with Bozo. I'm sure it's the painted face thing, and here's why.

My clown aversion began many years ago when this particular "paint by number" picture (shown above) hung in my bedroom as a little girl. Remember this craze from the 1950s? I could never understand this mindless pastime, or jigsaw puzzles, for that matter. But everyone seemed to enjoy it, especially my mother.

Anyway, this creepy clown painting was even scarier at night. In the dark, it would silently morph into a sinister version of my mother; the same short, wispy haircut, eyebrows and even dark red lipstick she always wore. Okay, well, not the cigar. But, she did have white gloves and a red hat.

Those little beady clown eyes would follow me around. No matter where I would hide, under the covers or not, that clown would be staring at me. You know the old saying, "mothers have eyes in the back of their heads"? Well, this clown had those same psychic eyes, only worse.

I hated that picture, and it's safe to say, it's most likely the reason I don't care much for clowns today. But, I must not be the only one, because evil clown characters are some of the most frightening in fiction and film. Here's just a few examples:

The Joker, Batman
Pennywise, Stephen King's It
Konrad Beezo, Life Expectancy
Doink the Clown, WWF
Killer Klowns from Outer Space, 1988
Jack the Clown, Universal Studios Horror Nights
National Lampoon's French the Clown
The Clown, Star Trek
Gurdy the Clown, 100 Tears
Obnoxio the Clown, Marvel Comics
creepy clown doll, Poltergeist
clown costume, film Halloween

turn your volume way up

for a blast from the past!

The Tears of a Clown
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles


Now if there's a smile on my face
it's only there trying to fool the public
but when it comes down to fooling you
now honey that's quite a diff'rent subject.

Don't let my glad expression
give you the wrong impression
really I'm sad
oh sadder than sad;
you're gone and I'm hurting so bad
like a clown I pretend to be glad.

Now there's some sad things known to man
but ain't too much sadder than the tears of a clown.
when there's no one around.
just like Pagliacci did
I try to keep my sadness hid;
Smiling in the public eye
but in my lonely room
I cry the tears of a clown
when there's no one around.

Oh yeah baby
now if there's a smile upon my face
don't let my glad expression
give you the wrong impression

don't let the smile I wear
make you think I don't care.
Now if I appear to be carefree
it's only to camouflage my sadness

in order to shield my pride I try
to cover this hurt with a show of gladness
but don't let my show convince you
that I've been happy since you decided to go.

Oh I need you so.
I'm hurt and I want you to know
but for others
I put on a show.
Now there's some...