You see my face, you see my grin
You see the state that I am in
âThis manâs straight from the looney binâ
I donât suppose youâre wrong.
I wait here every Tuesday night
Urban decay, a ghastly sight,
Cadaver stiff amongst the blight
My ride will be here soon.
I have a dream, of up on stage
Iâll hold the mic and be assuage.
A jester of this modern age-
I can hear their applause.
One booking surely grows to two,
Comedic date-night rendezvous,
No way for you to misconstrue:
That Iâll be somebody.
Time ticks away to quarter past-
Donât know how long my wait will last.
Skin-crawling dread leaves me aghast.
Theyâre squirming from within.
I feel the teeth, I feel the bitesâ
My coat is filled with parasites.
They bubble forth as fear ignites.
Do you hear them whisper?
âThey wonât laugh; youâre awfully daff.â
âTheyâll scoff.â
âThey'll leave.â
âAll youâve done is underachieve.â
âTheyâve come to mock; your workâs a crock.â
âYouâll drag.â
âYou'll bomb.â
âTheyâll recognize you lack aplomb.â
âShe was right, you troglodyteââ
âDonât care.â
âNever did.â
âYou canât keep it underlidââ
âFreakââ
âWeakââ
âI must critiqueââ
âWho said you had the right to speak?â
âQuackââ
âWhackââ
âRight off-the-rackââ
âWhy are you feeling so attacked?â
Tongues leave burns, at every turnâ
Voices canât be discernedâ
They chew, they bite, they rip, they gnawâ
Ribcage etched into scrimshaw.
They stab, they pierce, they leech, they drainâ
They coil and squeeze just like a chain!
Just grin, just grin, just grin and bearâ
If I was gone they wouldnât stareâŚ
A screech, a huff: noise impedesâ
Savior arrives at leisure speeds.
Gates ajar, ferryman proceeds:
âYou coming on, or what?â
I suck in bile; adjust my coat.
I tighten my smile; clear my throatâ
Must not look like Iâm inchoateâ
The clownâs back on the clock.