Insatiable Clown

Insatiable clown With red nose You steal with stealthy step Along the hedges in the Night Under the stars under the white All grey all shade all dark In Hastings Gardens. And I heard your lament A little after you looked Intent with lifted head Toward your Moon-Goddess Had tears in your eyes Then said Heard I: ‘Woe is this world, all woe, all ashes Black, shadows, tears I will to laugh but cannot Laugh, What clown am I? Am I the rumored fool? Am I the only wise? The others of the earthly band Upholders materially All do and laugh and stand And sound More than empty vessels in a desert of sand When iron chills of night fall on that land: And distant-hoarse the jackals and bats cry And shadows roam, restless, and pry. I must laugh I know, but the world now Is not of clowns, alas! would that it be That all had clown in blood and laughter be! ' So plained the clown Yet Still the Moon Goddess Spoke not Only Shed a tear. Look! The night flees As the clouds speed away So Dawn approaches Fast with the new day: And the clown hied away With stealthier step And pace Like as to witch with broom Over the seas Over the waters wild At night That night For wise he was Then laughed A great laugh And went to other lands.