A makeshift smile, a polished look
Some rehearsed lines was all it took
He had it down, man, he was good
A woman screams, her mother weeps
A life so changed irrevocably
What he stole from her is gone for good…
~*~
ACT I: TERRO
Shadows under a spotlight, curtains calling and faces falling
Misfortune malady and maidens in masks, tickets outselling
The man of the show, the leading actor dies of a heart attack
They applaud his craft, the prima donna screams come back…
~*~
ACT II: INFERNO
Pantomimes place props, as paramedics arrive for scene two
The act has turned, audiences gasp, orchestra goes crescendo
A stagehand slips and farers faint, dim lighting and all is dire
Cigar tossed, a painted background of inferno catches on fire…
~*~
ACT III: PURGATORIO
The doctor announces the demise of a thespian, tears are shed
Performers pause for unfortunate condolence, in a quiet stead
Breaths hushed and whispers silenced in devastated memorial
As the stage director pays his respects, and indicates the burial…
~*~
ACT IV: PARADISO
But the artists recover, as the crowd settles down to a murmur
Limelight brightens, musical tempo, inquiries made no further
The poor cadaver carried away to the morgue to be cared upon
Death might watch from the audience, but the show shall go on.
~*~
When the purest soul is stained by sin
To the public eye where can she begin?
She lost it all and it’s gone for good
And she may never beat the system
But she won’t rest until she’s turned
The villain to the victim…
A Lost Painting
The Cynical Obscurantist 