Clowned

Living unclowned 
by others sounds
wholesome
until the day
you are taking
a principled stand
and the mockery starts

Your wishing well becomes  
clogged with bad laughter
so you retrench and imagine 
things are already different
and the clowns have been silenced

You imagine that
on the other side of the clowning
there will be the grace of 
the trapeze artist flying
high above the astonished 
and grateful crowd 
so you take a deep drink
from the well and get up
and take your stand again