“And now… for my greatest trick yet… I’ll smile when nobody’s watching…”

Step right up, witness the laugh and the pain,

Marcel the Magnificent, here to entertain!

Painted-on grin hides my midnight sighs,

Trip on my shoes for your joyful eyes

Juggle my sorrows, spin plates of despair,

Every clap, every cheer, pretending you care.

Under bright lights, where nobody sees,

I’m dancing for strangers—never for me.

Ha-ha! (forced laugh) Is it funny enough yet?

Will applause fill the hole where my confidence left?

Louder you cheer, quieter my fears,

But after this act—silence always reappears.

Is a clown still a clown when nobody laughs?

Am I just painted joy, with a heart made of glass?

When the tent falls empty and echoes have flown,

Is the man in the mirror someone I’ve known?

Mirror, mirror, what face do you hide,

When greasepaint and glitter quietly slide?

Each wipe reveals bruises hidden in smiles,

Years spent performing behind painted styles.

Mama once told me,

But laughter just fades, now I’m left unsure.

Crowds say I’m hilarious, call me a star,

But after the curtains, alone is so far.

Empty applause hangs thick in the air,

Wiping my face, I whisper a prayer:

Let someone love me beyond painted eyes,

The fool and the mask—the truth and the lies.

“Hey folks, don’t cry yet, here’s a joke you’ll adore!”

“Wait… I can’t remember why I’m laughing anymore…”

(Crowd whispers echo distortedly): “Loser! Clown! Joke!”

“Please don’t leave… please someone stay…”

Is a clown still a clown when makeup is gone?

Can someone still love me when laughter moves on?

Beneath painted smiles is a heart beating real,

And tonight I’m confessing—it’s okay to feel.