4.3 Open Water
A Clown Business

Unedited words by Elizabeth Hasan
July 2021

Verse about puppets in our 'Animal Farm'.

All kinds of clowns -

tall, short, brown,

fair, stupid, kind,

cunning, fool or blind -

have been here gathering,

whispering and muttering.

Pamphlets in their hands ready

to revolt against the circus steady.

They sing, dance and scream

into the hollow of their dreams.

 

Because the cunning can't see

and to that the fools will agree;

the threads attached to their limbs

waltz to the circus master's whims.

Thus they are nothing but puppets,

blowing the victory trumpets.

​

One type does nothing

while others get the beating.

Another type sews mouths shut

lest they scream of freedom's slut.

Yet another sits & edits pamphlets

for building a misinformation led outlet.

Some others still like to pretend

as their activism soon hits a dead end.

​

Then there are those other clowns,

belonging to the shunned radical towns

who bring in a scissor

to snip off the threads of leisure

of the circus master's show.

And that the clever will agree though

none other were more courageous

than who broke the system.

Outrageous.

Illustration by Jishnnu B

A clown business (1).png
About Mysticeti's friend:

Elizabeth is a student of English literature at University of Calcutta. She writes about personal experiences of loneliness and political turmoil. Her writings have been published by Delhi Poetry Slam and St. Stephen's College among others.