Ladies and Gentlemen, Girls and Boys,
Children of all ages; in a city near you,
Filled with laughter, happiness and joy,
Free rides, freaky sides and clowns with big shoes.
Let me tell you a story of a weary lad,
Traveling the circuit for a place to call home,
In an old filthy shirt with dusty jeans, he had,
Nary a single possession to call his own,
The tents being raised was a beautiful sight,
As the circus rolled into town,
Illiterate and without skill, but with strength, he might,
Find work enough to stick around,
“This is steady work; it’s hard but for real,
With my sinewy arms and an ox like back,
I’ll earn enough for some cash and a meal,
This beats the life of a hobo on the tracks.”
He approached an old man with sledge hammer in hand,
Straining to hit its mark
“Sir, May I help you, I’m a very strong man,
Looking for work; when and where can I start?”
On opening day, the circus was short of one single performer,
The ringmaster turned to the lad with the shabby clothes,
With a chuckle, he said, “Hey Homer!
I have some old makeup, an old hat and this nose,
And could think of something you could do,
Just smear a little of this stuff on your face,
And I’ll give you this extra big pair of shoes,”
With a slight grin on his lips, he ran, circling the place,
Skipping, tripping and falling down,
“Enter, the circus’s new clown…”