The Clown

Smeared greasepaint, caked on an onerous life-beaten face.

Brightly colored tassels, fluorescent orange, yellow and lime-green.

The paradox of a mixed mission, to bring laughter yet inciting tears.

And fears.

Akin to the bogeyman under the bed and the shadow in the closet, the clown walks to a sick ice cream truck rhythm, a nursery rhyme gone bad.

And its not his fault.

Blame Hollywood.

Comments

[Carolyn]

You're freaking me out, but if greasepaint wasn't scary, how would we know clowns exsited?

[Cyn]

You are very right, Dan.
It's true. I hate clowns. They're evil . And I learned that exactly as you say--on television & in the movies.

There was at least one a "Zone" I think, or maybe just I'm thinking of the episode with Telly Savalas and the talking doll. Then there was that evil clown that-ate-children in one of the Stephen King made-for-teevee movies. That cemented it for me. It just became accepted that clowns--all clowns are evil.

[Cyn]

Ugh-- I just remembered the serial murder case that occurred just prior to my moving from Cambria, California to here in Illnois. I won't write out the guy's name but he killed more than a dozen kids before they caught him--and his side job---like in the Yellow Pages-type job--was as a clown for hire.

[Dan]

Stephen King's "It" has the clown, loitering in sewer systems and standing ominously across mirrored lakes.

[Cyn]

Thank you. How could I not remember "It" (played by Tim Curry)? :shudder: I'm gonna have bad dreams now.