Saturday, October 29, 2011

Poem: Coulrophobia - What is it About Clowns?



It wouldn’t be Halloween without a few clowns running around.  When my sons were in middle school, I found a rubbery clown mask in a discount bin at a novelty store.  I brought it home and it became a favorite.  My oldest son snuck up on me once while I was washing dishes and tapped me on the shoulder.  I jumped a mile when I turned to find the ghoulish grin of a clown staring at me.  Another time, he hung the mask on the shower head so that his younger brother would see it first thing in the morning.  From circuses to horror movies, clowns are everywhere, and some people have an extreme phobia of them called Coulrophobia.  What is it about clowns?

Coulrophobia

You scare me, you clown
With your lack of a frown,
Your smile frozen in place,
Such an odd and
Confusing face,
It makes my heart race,

Quit smiling at me,
I’ve had it I swear,
No clowning around,
No silly clown tricks,

You’re creeping me out,
I shudder inside,
There’s nowhere to hide
From that grin,

I want you to go
Scare somebody else
With your red bulbous nose,
And that
Oddly revolting,
Strangely contorting,
Highly deceptive
Grin.

1 comment:

  1. We had a toy box years ago with a clown face on it, among other pictures. Shannon was terrified. Kennan drew a more friendly face on the clown and that did the trick. Mostly. I didn't know this fear was so common that there is a word for it! Libby

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