Folks + Frowns

I bought my smiles
Where mourners shop
Weren't coppers that I paid
The girl demanded tears
instead
And these were easy shed

She grinned with all her
gravestone teeth
And gave me pounds of
clown like smiles
Assurances that these lies
would hide 
Such sorrows I might weep

On leaving, she did call me
back
And placed one pon my
face
The sunshine scar did yet
belie 
My heart of blood red black 

I tried one out upon the
crowds
But I... not one to lie
Wore my smile quite upside
down
Cared not for folks and frowns

M P 29/4/22