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As a child William just wanted to come out to play
He would dress up so carefully, ready for his day
But every time to his sad, dull dismay
His parents would just chide him and say
You aren’t going out looking like that
Not now, not tomorrow, not today

Years he would brood in his room all alone
Trying for friends but so little known
But year after year all such joys were postponed
And no-one would ring him on his new telephone
As a teen none would ever be ‘seen dead’ with him
And poor poor William was left on his own

But then something happened that none of them planned
A dark god awoke to play its strange hand
For William was musical, a prodigy and
He found an advertisement from a new local band
So he went to them colourfully, thinking at last
Someone would look at him and they’d understand

They liked his music but his garb left them cold
Dark clowns are passé was all he was told
And his fear turned to anger, like silver to gold
And just in that moment his spirit was sold
On such small transactions we are damned by our fear
By the lies, the rejections and all we are told

Their bodies were broken, their little lights out
A cacophony of pain left them all in no doubt
A dark clown was all that young William’s about
He finished them all then he started to shout
“I only just wanted to come out to play
But never, no one ever, ever ever, lets me out”

As a child William just wanted to come out to play
He would dress up so carefully, ready for his day
But every time to his sad, dull dismay
His parents would just chide him and say
You aren’t going out looking like that
Not now, not tomorrow, not today

(c ) Helen M Valentina 2018