The Act is Over


The Act is Over

The circus is over.
The tents have tumbled down,
And standing in the wreckage, is a lonely clown.

Her emotions are in tatters,
The make-up's smeared on her face.
She tried to make the act go on, but now, she's been displaced.

She couldn't keep the act up,
Could not keep up the show.
She's tired and exhausted, and knows not where to go.

She stands among the wreckage,
Of what was oncer her life.
She tried to overcome, but was beaten down by strife.

A cold wind blows over her,
And rain comes pouring down.
The rushing rain water, turns her smile into a frown.

Gone is the happy make-up,
Ruined is her disguise.
She can no longer hide, her anguish and her cries.

Poor, sad, lonely clown.
Where will she go from here?
She's too tired for the act, too exhausted to show cheer.

She stumbles through the wreckage,
Her will and strength all gone.
Buffeted by the winds, she tries to struggle on.

What is the destiny,
Of this poor, sad clown?
Will she continue to fight or let life keep her down?


by Adrienne Davis Riggs 2/2001