Il Pagliacco Bojo

Intro: up to 50 words (delete this text and enter your own)


He’s the Joker in the pack.

A slack-jawed Chaplin,

the ‘Capstan Full Strength’ of frolic.

This not too alcoholic hyperbolic

mistaken for shambolic, yet

all too taken with his own charisma.

Any party but a political one

should welcome this funster.

A posh punter with a gift

you wouldn’t accept from a Greek.

Such power, pre-witching hour.

Though in the twitching twilight

he scrubs the greasepaint

from his Pagliacco, to show

the empty clown beneath.

© franciman 2023
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critique and comments welcome.
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savvi

what lies beneath the painted smile, very powerful and solid internal rhymes and alliteration to get your tongue around what more could I ask for…send in the clowns.

amman

Echo everything Keith said; excellent internal rhythms and sardonic commentary. With Trump and Johnson set loose on the English speaking world I’m glad I’m living over here. A very clever piece of writing, Jim.

supratik

It’s quite a celebration of words, rhymes and rhythms. A pleasure to read.

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