On in Five


John Sloan, Clown Making Up (1910)

Knock, knock! Who’s there? On in five.
How’s the house? Fair Monday crowd.
Come on, handsome. Look alive.
When is a costume not a shroud?
When is a lipstick not red grease?
When it’s apocalypstic! Chew
On that one. Little more cerise;
Little less chalk. And on in two.
Why did the chicken out? It died.
Belle must be bowing. That’s our tune;
And on in one. Damn rouge has dried;
Let’s hope it’s dark this afternoon.
Quick nip for luck. One minute gone.
I say, I say! And on. And on.

Julia Griffin
 
If you have any thoughts about this poem,  Julia Griffin would be pleased to hear them