We often don’t associate clowns or comedians with sadness because they bring us so much joy and laughter, but it happens to be that many comedians pertain disorders such as depression and anxiety, many comedians have also undergone childhood trauma, this is known as the sad clown paradox. In general people with depression or those who struggle with mental illness put up a front and pretend to be happy, but I felt that the best way I could write the poem was through the perspective of a clown. I am not a clown, nor a comedian but a melancholic person who often finds myself under the guise of happiness. Hopefully this makes someone out there feel heard or seen. I hear your trembling voice, not just the jokes you crack or the advice you give, I see your disillusioned face whenever you don’t flash a smile, so please, don’t be like the clown of my poem...be openly emotional and let others help you.