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I was four when one dark night lightning struck;
I, in my jammies in Grandma's kitchen,
a perfect rendezvous, weather just right
Electric missile shards knifed the cold air,
merging monstrous clapping thunderhead clouds,
terrified me at very first sight
"Don't' worry" she said, reassuring me
" it's just clowns bumping their heads together.."
but my fear heightened as the sound carried
I imagined big fat heads colliding,
frowning mean rumbling clowns surrounding us -
We peered out the window; they moved closer
I imagined big fat heads colliding,
frowning mean rumbling clowns surrounding us -
We peered out the window; they moved closer
I saw them then, painted grumpy faces
ominous charcoal folds, falling over
one another, wind blowing hardily;
misshapen faces, dark purple rain filled,
threatening, stormy, jet grey bluish-green,
slamming the ceiling door, cracking loudly
Changing moods - as extensive as our own,
more flashes of light and serious BOOMS!
Then a bruising downpour on the pavement
"Monster clowns, Grandma, may I sleep with you..
please?" But later when the storm subsided,
I looked up again ..now the clown faces
had changed; were they a foe or protector?
All of a sudden they seemed friendly, wise
As she took my hand, I turned and looked back,
didn't tell grandma they winked at me
didn't tell grandma they winked at me
I gave them all names as they left my sight
Sleeping, in my dreams they sometimes rumbled
and ranted, but I was never afraid
In funny clown hats, they had a flair for
simply returning in another disguise,
simply returning in another disguise,
sometimes they tried giving me a good scare
blase` was I, for they were my allies
So now on a given summery day
I paint them on canvas and 'en plein air'
Tonight is 'poetics' at dversepoets.com and Brian 
invites us to write about monsters, scary, nice, or whatever
invites us to write about monsters, scary, nice, or whatever
For a long time in my childhood I believed in the image instilled in my mind by my grandmother when she spoke of storm clouds in the sky. I was sure she used the word 'clowns' instead of 'clouds'; not until I was old enough to understand what she really meant did I realize it, but I still think about it every time there is a thunder storm. My brother corroborates my story; she did use the word clowns. How many faces to you see in the quick painting I did?
There are 8 after I added in Emmett Kelley in the lower left and a clip art shot in the lower center.
i am glad they were allies....for many the clowns are rather scary...ha on the clowns being responsible for the thunder...cool pic too...there are 6 clowns tha immediately jump out at me...i am sure there are more but i am still waking up...ha..
ReplyDeletenice...very cool painting and how cool to find the faces in the clouds, giving them names and making them an ally..
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the story of clouds as clowns ~ I imagine them before to be animals racing across the sky ~ Cool painting as well, maybe 8 faces there but the clown in the middle left is clearly visible ~ Good one Katy ~
ReplyDelete8 faces is correct..thanks, Heaven..
DeleteClowns are really scary... and seeing the clouds like clowns sounds really scary.
ReplyDeleteWell, that's one way of looking at storm clouds. Pretty cool. And thank goodness for grandmas, too. Nice retelling of an event that at the time must have been scary.
ReplyDeleteYes, and thank you ;)
DeleteI tried hard to read this, but the background overpowered the font, and I just could not persevere. It seems you must have changed something, as I never had this kind of trouble before. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteMary I just changed the color of the font to see if that helps you. So far no one else has said anything. I hope you can read it now. Thanks.
DeleteExcellent! This is truly a quality write in so many ways! I love the story, and the telling is wonderful! I love it!
ReplyDeleteI loved the flow of this Katy, a child's perception of what could be a monster.
ReplyDeleteIncredible writing and a great theme. I think so many of us have a fear of the clown image. I liked how the little girl became comforted by the clowns.
ReplyDeleteYou wrote well about thunderstorms as monsters. Two of my children were very scared of thunderstorms and would sometimes wake-up to them screaming. Now, they are coming to terms with them. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad they outgrow them ;)
DeleteThis is just wonderful storytelling.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Andrea
DeleteThat is such a wonderful story! The painting is amazing also.
ReplyDeletethank you...really the painting was a hurried mess ;) glad you liked the story ;)
ReplyDeletethis really gave me the chills... clowns are scary!
ReplyDeletelove what you did here... wonderful work!
wonderfully painted. I said the same to my children years ago, that it is clouds bumping their heads together. My husband suggested I talk to them about physics. So, I did. But the heads...that is some wonderful poetry. I really loved every bit of this piece.
ReplyDelete...really nice of you to say; it isn't one of my own favorites, but I always wanted to tell the story - and she did used the word 'clowns'. I'll bet your kids remember well.
ReplyDeleteGreat narrative, Katy, I have a poem about coulrophobia ~ but it's not as nice as yours :)
ReplyDeleteHi Katy
ReplyDeleteI was IN this from the start and held tight to your words thru to the end. It is fantastic how we adopt and adapt and re-view these kind of past shapes and in-movies and how we attach and develop meaning depending on circumstance and situation . . . how we interpret the shapes in the subjective sky in accordance with what we do or more often then not DONT want to see. all the best K :)
..my goodness, thank you Aaron; yes, the human soul has a way of protecting itself that is uncanny...and I understand even under circumstances of prolonged pain and torture...glad you liked it;)
ReplyDeleteawesome.
ReplyDeleteThank you
ReplyDelete