Clowning (Ain't No Way to Make a Living)

Clowning ain't no way to make a living Diner lot Allegheny sleet Halite crunch under feet Lean on me, watch that step Don't rebreak it, shuffle gait it Thru the tailpipe cloud of a spring-sagged Savana Sickly idle, fogged up glass Mind your business, eyes on ice Here again in the gentle night Door chimes say welcome, seat yourself We crawl to a corner booth more niche than nook Coffee? Yes, please Yesterday's paper folded on the table And tomorrow's yet to press You have so few tomorrows And such uneasy yesterdays The coffee is good Careful, let it cool Let me wipe that spill Let us check the crossword, maybe it's undone The door chimes again, I look up See three rough men and a jumpsuited clown Fully kitted, rainbow wig to jumbo shoes To the other corner they descend (Y'know, I'm a big fan of playing pretend) The rough men order eggs and they get the clown a waffle The rough men tickle and they tease and they bait the clown And when the server brings the food The clown sobs and drags his ruffled sleeves through the syrup dish In my booth my companion is asleep Castrated brain locked in a mosaic maze Across the room, the clown slips from the rough men And flops to the restroom The men laugh and eat the clown's waffle The server glides to the men Coffee pot in hand, distraction in mind I squeeze my companion's hand and leave him there softly breathing And make for the restroom and there is the clown Double my years and well out of warranty He zips up his jumpsuit and I stupidly shrug And ask if things are cool? Are they cool? The clown rubs his gums, he fixes his wig, steps past me But suddenly he bends back and twists close And his frilly jabot brushes my cheek And in my head his voice tickles deep and he tells me Clowning ain't no way to make a living Clowning ain't no way to make a living Clowning ain't no way to make a living