For R. Williams, the man who laughs

Pity the man who laughs
Breathless in front of smiling faces
Feeling less than a shadow
Pity the man who laughs
Eyes wearing streams of tears like lace
Hoping they’re joy
Pity the man who laughs
Distancing his humanity with manic onslaughts
Keeping a restless mind to avoid the silence
Pity the man who laughs
Disguised by make up, costumes and voices
So no one looks close to see the mask that won’t come off
Pity the man who laughs
When the laughter stops

My name is Marshall Hanlon and I’m a poet and writer from Maryland. I love T.S. Eliot, Wallace Stevens, Edgar Allen Poe, and W.H. Auden.

Photo Credit: AntekPyra on deviantart / Design Credit: Laura A. Lord