Charlie
Who would have known,
your roots were hidden, deep,
beyond the shadows that would keep you,
dancin'in the street?
Being just a bum when it all began,
when you were very young.
And who knew the circumstances...
of your own poverty?
From a mother
who couldn't cope,
and left you all alone...
and abandoned?
And you found yourself,
sleeping...
on those park benches
in Kennington.
But then, you met the organ man,
there in East Street,
where you tapped into the lightness...
of your own dance.
Creating that special place
in your imagination,
and you would escape...
and become the vaudeville man.
Living with a plan,
that would bring you fame and fortune!
With cane and hat, strutting your stuff,
along some promenade.
Yet being so afraid,inside,
you couldn't hide that sadness...
on your sleeve.
But it would all appear in your dress,
what a mess!
And there, along some tavern street,
you would meet and greet the ladies,
and find yourself again,
tapping into your own ballet...
With a glimmer in your eye.
and driven to succeed,
who knew the suffering you would face...
from your loneliness melancholy ways?
On stage,
you were on...
never ceasing
to play a part.
But off stage,
was a tale of a whole different guy,
being lonely and shy, and rather
reserved.
And you became the comedian in your time,
when mine struck the ultimate chord for your success,
and you imitated...
the inebriate!
Copyright © Robert Obrien | Year Posted 2016
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