When I was young, they made me laugh,
The circus clowns in funny hats,
Their whitened faces, elongated boots
And baggy pants told me that life
Despite the pain was basically a joke
And came with falls and bruises that
Never seemed to hurt
And so I laughed out loud.

Slowly the vise closed and avenues,
So broad, when one is young
Shrank to just a single rope
To balance on before the fall.
Tears cannot save you
Grim endurance the only key
And a sly grin,
Knowing what you cannot avoid
And seeing the silliness of it all.

People become funny
Clutching their money
And their pills
With the flesh falling
About their bodies
As the rain falls
And their tears splash
in the puddles.
People are funny that way
And it never changes.
That's why we have clowns.