The air is cold
the moon shines bright
with the stars of life.
The town is silent
except for the cries of a clown.
A sad clown
that brings joy to everyone
with his balloons and tricks.
He is the same clown
that wares an upside down frown by day.
But at night his smile goes away.
It slides away with the joys of each day
He is happy by day
For it is people
that make his heart feel young and gay.
When he walks through the door
His life unravels and falls to the floor.
Oh beautiful clown
please let your smile grow.
I love you more than you could ever know.
(1974-1979)
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As a child and teenager I always liked clowns. This poem was not about a particular clown. It was a self-reflection of how I was feeling at that time in my life. On the outside I was happy and people saw me as so. Yet, inside I was sad. Today, I cannot remember what event may have triggered these emotions. But it is most likely when I was 16 years of age, and was “grounded for life,” as my father would say. Social isolation for a teenage through a summer is like a life sentence.
God Is I Am 