Face Painted As Comedy
by Michael Doyle

From herder of cats to herder of men,
The voice of confusion  thinks itself Zen.
Thirty years of perverted energy
Has produced something akin to synergy.

In this passage of marbled history
Are the layers of false controversy 
That have forced America to rearrange
While most of us stand back to watch the change.

Loose production  produces laughter and levity,
Mostly at how life, much like gravity,
Leaves much more to be static and grounded
Than the original ideas that were impounded.

One by one, what we called our own
Became something we could not leave alone
Until it became bigger than the total sum,
And like Pink Floyd, we became comfortably numb.

No longer did American pretend it was the polite society,
As we became overcome by neurosis and anxiety
Until the rough crowd was the one allowed
To take over the role of acting and being proud.

Sketches that start as something less
Became fleshed out into masquerade of success.
One with failure as the two ways to die.
Opened ended questions with no need to reply...

It's funny how in a life full of choices,
The best stories told are filled with voices.
The type of voices that need to talk
About the lives through which they casually walk.

Smiling like the moaning Lisa revealed
Are the bits of truth no longer concealed.
It's funny how stories  felt dis reputable
Have the longest run and slip into being credible.

The best humor comes from the tears of clowns.
It's those special places in the soul turned around
That speak to the heart deeper than the levity
And on the surface, these are face painted as comedy.

(c) June 25, 2025   Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved