A new friend, Lafemmeroar, who inducted me into The Crazy Chicks Club, needed to see this poem, written back in 2010 but never published on my blog. It’s a serious problem in our society, and, as you all know, I take these issues head on. Also at my haven, Poets United. Amy
The Practice
There’s an old warehouse downtown
where they meet in secret
Sneaking down alleyways alone or in pairs
through the backdoor of an old meat-packing plant
It’s quiet; it’s remote; no one will discover them there
as they open drawers full of potions
creams and lotions and pallored paint
They pull robes and silky clothes from rusty hangers
Readying themselves for the ritual
Preening with great care as giant hooks swing over their heads
remnants of the enterprise this building once housed
Hideously masked, garishly garbed, in hats with small bells
They frolic as they practice their ancient art
Every movement coordinated, they caper and careen
The thought of their doings makes my blood run cold, even now
Grown men in clown suits, rehearsing a new routine
© Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Sharp Little Pencil 
dani
ROTFLMFAO!!!
nooooooooooo……… not clowns!
Sharp Little Pencil
NO ONE has said a good thing about them yet, and I’ve had a bunch of comments on this one. I actually laughed as I was writing it!!!
vivienne Blake
I was thinking the worst, until your final line made me laugh out loud!
Sharp Little Pencil
HAH! Gotcha! And you’re really on the ball. This was actually a NaPoWriMo on P.A. in 2010, when Robert asked for “horror” poems. Someone on another blog mentioned her total fear of clowns, so I had to post it for her…! Thanks, Viv. Amy
Roger Green
the horror! the horror!
Sharp Little Pencil
They really do scare the crap out of me, ever since I was a little kid. Just gives me the shivers to even think about them, and I found out after writing this that an awful lot of people feel the same!! Thanks, Rog. Amy
booguloo
Neat poem. Who are these folks?
Sharp Little Pencil
Michael, this was written to an old prompt for a “horror” poem. Well, about the scariest thing I could think of, besides being abducted, etc., was CLOWNS. They scare the crap out of me, and I found out a lot of people feel the same way!! And I felt that way long before John Wayne Gacy (are you listening, Michelle Bachmann, LOL). Thanks, M. Amy
Lafemmeroar
Love it. The poem at first seems romantic then it develops into the macabre and finishes with a twist. Nicely structured. I enjoyed reading this.
Sharp Little Pencil
I actually posted it for you because of YOUR clown pictures, a couple of posts ago… God, I had no idea just how many people are also freaked out by clowns, LOL. See you at your blog, and thanks for coming back! Amy
Lafemmeroar
From far away they don’t bother me. But I saw one up close once. The make-up is creepy as it’s painted on so thick.Some kids are freaked out by them. Eons ago at a kids party, the kids ran away from a clown who was supposed to perform at the party.
Sharp Little Pencil
I don’t blame them at all. Nothing creepier than clowns… except, you know, a date with Manson or something extreme like that. The YUCK factor in the clowning arts inspired that horror poem! Haha.
jadepagepressnan
Nice work, Amy! I was waiting for the insidious, and instead, found myself laughing – at the poem, and at myself. Funny, you.
Sharp Little Pencil
Gotcha! And clowns, how scary are they, eeeeew!!!! Amy
Daydreamertoo
You know, I don’t know why it is but, I have never liked clowns. I’ve always thought them so macabre. I know they are supposed to act silly and make kids laugh and such but, they never did that to me and, I have no idea why I have such an aversion to them at all.
A friend of mine used to collect doll clowns. I found it utterly odd and, unsettling when I would see them all, painted grotesque faces, starring. LOL
Gosh, you got me going on this one~! LOL
Sharp Little Pencil
If you scroll through comments, you’ll notice that almost ALL of us think clowns are creepy. And clown DOLLS? Didn’t she ever see “Poltergeist”? What the hell was your friend thinking, LOL? Amy
Kim Nelson
I just stood at the back of the warehouse and watched every detail of the show. Brilliant.
Sharp Little Pencil
OK, but tell me, where do you stand on “the clown question”? This is serious stuff! Do they make you as nervous as they make me? Thanks for the praise! Amy
Laurie Kolp
Powerful piece… beautiful images here, Amy.
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, Laurie. But do clowns freak you out as much as the rest of us, LOL?
Bodhirose
You had me going there for a while. I thought to myself–what ugly thing has she uncovered that is threatening our society… Well, you’re right, they are creepy!
Sharp Little Pencil
You too? Join the growing club of “coulrophobics” (actual word for fear of clowns. They’re so freaking WRONG they had to invent a word for the mere fear of them!). This was an old prompt to write a Horror poem, so I guess I met the challenge.
Only clowns I could ever stand were Emmett Kelly and Red Skelton, because I felt like I knew them in a way! Amy
Bodhirose
They are WRONG! When my daughters were little–they were scared of them too–and clowns are supposed to amuse children!
Red Skelton was an actor too and so very sweet–I loved him. Emmett Kelly, if I remember correctly, was quiet, sad and low-key. No leaping around in your face shenanigans.
Hehe…
Sharp Little Pencil
You have both characters down to a “t,” and they are truly the only two who don’t strike me as whack jobs in need of a dress-up party. I wonder if Michelle Bachmann’s husband is available for parties, LOL
Renee Espriu
Surprise ending! Love things that take a turn here, a turn there. Clowns can sometimes be scary and funny all at the same time.
Sharp Little Pencil
Oh, Renee, you’re the first person who actually said they seemed at ALL funny. Most of us are simply scared to death of them! (wink) This was to an old prompt to write a “horror” poem, and that’s about as scary as it gets for me!!
Madeleine Begun Kane
Love it!
Sharp Little Pencil
I had a feeling you would. Do they scare you as much as the rest of us? As one poster put it, “The horror, the horror!” Amy
luna15
okay when you put it like like that, really creeps me out! they do know that they are scary creatures right? lol
Sharp Little Pencil
Clowns (shudder) completely creep me out. It doesn’t even have to be Pennywise in Stephen King’s “It,” just any man with painted face and a wig. It’s just plain wrong, I tell you!!!
akweelife
Oh! It would be clowns! I love your poem, but clowns weird me out…eeeeehhh!
🙂
Sharp Little Pencil
Ha ha, you and me and everyone else here! I was scared of clowns before just about anything. EEEEEEW! LOL, Amy