The life and death of Tommy the clown

In this grand circus tent

We play death 

For on the ride

We the dead are 

Stumbling, this tightrope 

This clown 

These jugglers 

Stilts walked here 

Red noses and fun 

Fun FUN 

Falling backwards

Forwards, bellyflops 

Volunteers from the audience 

Loved Tommy 

For his love of fun, 

His laugh, the bop 

On the head 

"What is your name, 

Dance with me" 

And they did 

They laughed and laughed 

Everyone loved Tommy, 

Tommy the clown lived here 

The children always shouted 

Tommy, TOMMY

TOMMY 

The joy he brought 

To the children; 

Coming from Liverpool 

Tommy came from a broken home 

No father, an abused mother 

Living on porridge 

Learning to find the humour 

In everything, survival, 

Tommy left school early 

To join the circus as a stables cleaner looking after circus stallions; 

Years of hard work 

Until one day the opportunity to

Make others laugh when 

Davey the clown retired; 

Stepping into the tour as 

Circus clown, bonding with 

The children who fell in love 

With Tommy's ridiculous smile 

The children always shouted 

Tommy, TOMMY

TOMMY 

For Tommy had mastered all the Skills of the clown, from the Whiteface laughter on the outside, grief on the inside to the Redface clown able to take a pie in his face and sit in wet paint to being a fantastic character clown, his most loved act was that of playing the policeman! 

This was Tommy at his best

Until one day a terrible accident, 

On this day, the 22 May 2000

Tommy the clown died  

When the apparatus came down  

On his head 

An accident they said 

Someone forgot to check the 

Cog on the high apparatus 

This tent, this town, 

This clown, Tommy RIP