Only When I Laugh
On my face is a mask
The mask of a smiling clown
With a smile that conveys as much happiness
As the fixed grin of rigor mortis
And as all masks are worn to hide the truth
This clown's mask hides something
That has been dead for years

See the clown laugh
    (It's only a recording)
See the clown dance
    (It's only spasms of death)
Laugh, clown, laugh!

Oh, but the part of the clown
Is so hard to play
And this mask so heavy to wear
I wish you could see
Behind it, and ask me:
"Does it hurt, my friend?"
And I would answer:
"Only when I laugh, my dear
--Only when I laugh"
   

© Amber Drake 2024
 

[Poems] [Home]