The Fool in the Mirror, a clown poem by Tom Raymond
The man sits wearily in front of the mirror
the sound of laughter ringing in his ears
a fool stares back at him.
A faint grin tugs at his lips
as he wipes the smile off his face
and stores it back in the jar.
The rest of the face soon follows
waiting in the jars.
The clown is no longer in the mirror.
Is he? The man smiles, frowns, makes faces.
The man is no longer the clown,
yet the clown is still there.
The lights go out, the mirror is silent.
The jars of grease paint wait patiently
for the sound of children’s laughter.