I think it started as a prank
The Clown Apocalypse of 2016
Some people having fun
But not trying to hurt anyone
Then it grew into something
Larger and more sinister
People used it to justify
Bad behavior and scaring children
Two months it lasted
From early September
To Halloween –
One week later the
Biggest clown won
The election
Was it a small thing
That grew too big
Or was it a publicity stunt
A distraction –
It was a unique phenomenon
That deserves more attention
I think there’s a lot to be said
About our culture
What drives us and what we fear
What was the socio-political climate
Leading up to the most unpredictable
Event of the 21st Century –
Someone in Tucson petitioned
To have a protest parade
Supporting this new clown movement
It was not the kind of attention
The people of Tucson wanted –
Everyone prepared for zombies
But no one knew what to do
When clowns stood on the edge
Of forests and sides of roads
Beckoning the youth to follow
From the poetry collection Cats, Coffee, Catharsis.
James Pack 