The Clown and the Lion Tamer

Send in the clowns they say, but

do the clowns really fare any better than the lion tamers?

One appears more serious and defies death every day;

The other pretends to laugh at life and faces inner death at every turn.

The difference is that the lion tamers are constantly on guard and

they know the danger of not paying attention.

Every day they are not eaten is a gift.

The clowns must continue to keep the fake happiness plastered on their face,

no matter how much they hurt underneath and no matter how much they hate the crowd for their soft devotion.

The clowns are the entertainment; after the show they clear off the paint and

blend into the crowd, never taking their painted smiles with them.

For the lion tamer, the night holds no fear, for the beast is in his cage.

Death is around every corner for the lot of us, but the lion tamers

know that they are one bite and one hungry lion away from eternity.

No one is surprised when the lion tamers leave too early—it is the nature of their beasts.

May we see beneath the painted smiles and hold the hand of a clown today,

for every night their paint comes off and they are left with no one to entertain but themselves.

Both clowns and lion tamers must face death, but it does not have to be timely;

            Show love to those who hide beneath their painted smiles. 

For Robin Williams 1951-2014