The Princess and the Clown

(For David)

She asked me for a red-nosed clown --
I turned my pockets and I found:
A few holes, a few crumbs, and
A vast emptiness.


My words had fled without a trace,
Her outstretched hand demanded
Grace, and so we stood without
A sound, in awkwardness.



I could not tell her I was
The same: a little girl with stars
In her eyes, and the world at her
Feet, my father's princess.



No tricks up my sleeve, and a long
Way to go, I left her there sad and
Small, and went (hoping to return)
In search of readiness.