Forsooth, nobody needs a jest
when life is fair, as prepossessed;
if everything was admirable
then anticks would be inutile;
in times of bonny merriment,
wisecracks are sure superfluent;
nobody needs a laugh when they’re
as happy as a millionaire;
nobody needs a somersault
when the zeitgeist makes all exult;
who needs a comic pantomime
when rapt with a merry pastime;
a jolly farce is overkill
when people surfeit on goodwill;
good times are bad for madcap folks
since good times furnish their own jokes;
nay, only when the days turn tart,
the whole world needs the cut-up’s art;
when things turn sad and life does plague,
you need someone to pull your leg;
when money’s short and dangers lurk,
that’s when comedians find work;
when kingdoms forget how to laugh,
the king needs a fool on his staff.
This was originally published in Spring 2018 edition of The Helix.
