The Jester

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