(A/N Free verse poem based on a painting by Edward Hopper. Themes/TW: Substance abuse, alcoholism, pedophilia, child abuse, clowns, false accusations. Word Count: 140.)
McGoo
He bit the filter off the cigarette,
and smoked the cancer stick raw,
The way his face twitched,
Under layers of cracking paint,
Made it look like he was chewing the rolled tobacco.
The clown was not always this way.
He loved making them smile,
He never knew loneliness,
He had purpose.
Once upon a time,
McGoo was a loved, party clown,
He wore a fluffy wig and a big red nose,
His smile never needed painting on.
The clown's happy fantasy ended,
When rumors of him hurting the children spread,
The police visited Mcgoo,
Even when proved innocent,
No one would hire him again.
Now everyday, the clown sits in the bar,
Smoking and drinking whiskey until the red is washed from his lips,
Until there's a stagger in his step.
His mind numb and tired.
His blood warmed.
Great lines closing those first and last stanzas...and such a sad truth here...that's one accusation that you just can't erase from people's minds despite being unsubstantiated it seems.
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