They had drinks every night
The clown and the trapeze man
Before every show the same thing

"I never laugh at my own jokes." The clown would say

"I never miss my mark." The trapeze man would come back with

So I sat in the crowd
Watching the two perform
Silent and still

The next night

"I never laugh at my own jokes."
"I never miss my mark."

But this night, the tent was different

As the trapeze man danced through the air
The clown found a match and set fire to his net
Stone-faced the clown looked up above as his friend would never miss his mark

When suddenly...
He did

The trapeze man began falling to the earth as though he had missed Her sweet crust

...silence fell.

I sat still.
I sat silent.

Then the clown....
The clown began to laugh....