Long Greasepaint Poems

Since I first put on the greasepaint, smooth as cream on morning toast, they said I had a gift for making people laugh. Natural as breathing. Effortless as falling. Born to perform like a bird...

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Whar art mine fervent zeal for Marx Brothers?

While figuratively trout fishing
for ideas to write about
analogous (hook, line and sinker)
idea wormed itself into mind with clout
moment of awareness arose
without shadow of doubt.

As a long haired pencil...

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In a room stark & white 
A nightmare he will ride tonight 
Twisted sheets in a rider's grip 
as he settles in for that fateful trip 
silently he screams & shouts 
This time there'll be...

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Put on a happy face
when I release taut fingers 
from your pallid cheeks.
Promises and empty lies 
are sported clichés
that spoil a silenced vocabulary.
A quieted understanding we've
vocally committed to;
barks a matted-jackal’s constitution -
perceiving morose consequences
of blind...

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Let me tell you a story . . .  

A story about a clown called Tatters who loves to entertain,
he wears a whitewashed face with showy greasepaint features:
Tatters, has red balding hair ragged and...

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Then Wele Khakaba turned and spoke thus
True beauty is everlasting; temporary beauty is dust and is for a time
Thy judgment of beauty is an error
For thy yardsticks are looks, appearances, effects and proportions
Thy verdict of...

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The laughter rings, a hollow sound,
Across the painted, cheerful ground.
A mask he wears, a painted smile,
Hiding the tears for a little while.

Beneath the greasepaint, shadows creep,
Where buried sorrows lie so deep.
A heart that aches, a...

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No news is good news; the known saying goes
Whether stated in prose, or its meted in rhyme
That's the outlook it seems the eu's  designed 
Whether covid or conflict, they play the same way
There's no...

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With skip, screech and flourish 
  The belfry-housed bats 
Flew wildly and garish 
  Far madder than rats. 
Greasepaint teardrops a-flying 
  In twilight's ascension, 
Heart breaking and dying, 
  Robbed...

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Ironic that the break
Begat her break
Mousy brown
In the chorus line
Third row from the back 
Throwing envious glances
At the leading lady
All glory and accolades
Pirouettes and solos
Applause unbounded
Why not me?
That fateful night
A careless stumble 
Unsafe props
An unfortunate...

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