BEHIND

BREVITY POEM 2

His life hides behind

a clown's face

smiley, pasty, psychedelic paint, gooey glop

please refrain from the peel

frigid tear drops

trapped into

cold, black stone

Author's Note

Brevity Poem 2

Reviews

[bee]

So many of us are wearing masks to hide our everyday pains inside. This captures this feeling very vividly for me. Very well expressed!

[barleygirl]

I've been aware that clowns are scary for some, but I've never been able to think of clowns in this way. Instead, I find this poem reminds me of real people who hide behind gloppy pancake layers of makeup & fake hair/nails, designer eyeware, expensive clothing, whatever. I find that people who need so much fake adornment are the scary ones, the sad ones, the ones your poem seems to be speaking about (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Betty Hermelee]

Margie; you are spot on! I only used the clown as symbol of a fake facade...like you can't tell a book by its cover! Thanks always for coming by!

[John the Baptist]

Doesn't sound like Emmet Kelly to me. Many people are trapped behind a happy facade which contains sad and dark secrets. Damn it, now you've got me thinking about John Wayne Gacy.

[Betty Hermelee]

don't know why you're thinking of that person, but this clown is an exaggerated metaphor for many people (sad), thanks John for reviewing!

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Betty... I am not ready to leave... "but a little bitty tear let me down, and spoiled my Act as a Clown"... I was doing alright but a little bitty tear let me down! (a Song sung by Burl Ives). tenderly, Pat

[Lorry]

And yet, would we notice a happier face beneath the makeup of childrens nightmares?
What do you mean not all kids are terrified of those pasted faces? My therapist assures me every time she cashes my cheques that it's perfectly normal to want them all put on a rocket and shot at the moon 😀

[Betty Hermelee]

Usually not; in this case the face was a facade for a troubled man! Thank for the review

[Papaya]

Nice brevity Betty.
I would wager most "clowns" are just hiding behind the mask.

[Betty Hermelee]

I believe so too, and many of them are very troubled souls; Thanks for reading!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

beautifully tragic.
"the tears of a clown, when there's no one around"---
masks can only hide the face, but not the heart.

[Betty Hermelee]

Hi Jacob; you always have a shining comment!
As always, Betty