The Jester performs his show for a special audience. 1st place, 5 Star Poetry, July 2010 |
40 lines The Jester The jester finishes and slowly looks around, He can’t see the audience, and hears no sound He’s done his best, given his all, Now is the test, will they answer his call The auditorium is dark, he can’t see anyone For all he knows, he could be alone The stage is lit with those bright stage lights, It’s awfully quiet for this time of the night He did all he could to amuse and bring cheer Made a fool of himself, never shedding a tear He’s always worked hard to make others smile Never caring about himself, yet all the while Each night on his knees, he prays before sleep, The phantoms he fights, the tears that he weeps He sees all the others as no one else does Senses their auras, and knows just because Their lives will be short, while his will be long He’ll be around, long after they’re gone They are so mortal, so frail and insecure He is the same, but different he’s sure Now, he waits for the cheers and applause And wonders if this time they left without cause Slowly and thundering, like a rolling tidal wave, The clapping begins for the performance he gave He smiles once again before leaving their sight, Then wanders off stage into the night He knows he has done everything he can As a jester he’s through, now he’s a man The children can’t believe the show on the stage For a period of time they’ve forgotten their age The jester’s act brought smiles to their faces, Helping them forget just what this place is They are gathered together and taken to their rooms Sleeping the night away while knowing of their doom For cancer will take them, or something just as bad, But the jester brought them a delight they’d never had Their smiles and cheers were all the reward he would need He knew he’d helped them forget their sickness indeed Another night would come with more children to amuse, For this was his curse, how he pays his long life dues Jim Dorrell 3/9/07 |