The Joker... Poem by RIC BASTASA

there is this little boy
an attraction in the circus
because he does not
have experience
yet...i mean the showmanship
is innocence, and those
that surround him
who want to
say, they want to help him
become like them

contortionists, clowns,
magicians, elephant men,
frog ladies,
jumpers, etc... i am not
really familiar with their names
and what they do

one day, the contortionist
ask him to imitate him
to get rid of his bones
and bend like some
water
fluid and painless
and the boy
does what he is told

he dies
bones crack and
eyes still seeing
pain and terror
looking to the
sky for
help...

he is innocence gone

but the show must go on
that is what they say

and the clown who watches
what the boy does
and how he dies

you bet, continues laughing.