O







O to Chaplin




He never went to school, and his films are black and white

Grace liked Chaplin very much, and as you know grace dances solo

Supreme ballerina, he never lost his feet in the machinery

Blue-collar magician, When he opened his hand, it was never empty



Who has not eaten their own shoe-laces?

Who has not joined the gold rush?

Who has not taken a flower from a blind girl?

and who has not been chased through Heaven by the cops?


his baggy pants still sway down the freeways of this land

Charles of silent Everywhere, dumpster-diver, service and manual, thrift-store shopper

work-shy and over-worked, eyes like cameras, long fingers

we still can't juggle without dropping

but we never dropped you Charlie

for we toss and we turn and we tumble

as if to call you from the grave

and on the very best of days

we take the full applause

from a blue-collar ballerina, a supreme magician


His baggy pants will always dance

And his jet-black eyes will always shine


With love upon this tragi-comedy

This slaughter-house they call America.


He never went to school, and his films are black and white.






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