"The Court Jester" by Melissa ´Mercury´ Wall

The Court Jester

He stands among the subjects

Before the jolly king

Dancing about as the laughs arise

Telling jokes and gaily singing

A funny costume he wears

To induce many a smile

Bright colors, little bells

People laughing all the while

Enjoying seeing such happiness

Esteemed to bring such cheer

The Jester puts his all into his act

As the laughs are all he hears

The king watched each afternoon

And laughed so hard before

But today he never broke a smile

He'd seen the act and was bored

He ordered the jester to take leave

And no longer dance in the courts

The king began a royal search

For a jester of a different sort

The rejected jester's all alone

No one will listen to his song

No one will watch his silly dance

He's not sure where he belongs

He walks the streets with hat in hand

His head bent forward in thought

Bells jingling a sad melody

Were his jokes all for naught?

Never should a jester frown

Never should he feel disgrace

A sad jester is an oxymoron

He should never hide his face

As the king searched through his kingdom

So many wished to become

The one to bring the king such joy

The one to have all the fun

A few brought but a smile

Many couldn't do even that

None could possibly compare

To the way he used to laugh

The banished jester leaves the realm

To find a brand new start

Another place to do his act

And feel joy again in his heart

A nearby kingdom he travels to

There they know him by name

They've heard about how he jests

Of his jokes and of his fame

They take him to see their queen

Where he can do his jolly act

They wish so much to see his dance

And he wants to see how they'll react

He sings a song of all his journey

His banishment and shame

And how now he is here with them

How he feels accepted and acclaimed

Meanwhile the king of the jester's past

Sits alone upon his throne

No one can make him laugh the same

Now all too late he knows

This is the end of the tale I tell

But my lesson is not through

My lesson of acceptance and rejection

I hope has someway touched you

Never take anything for granted

Because you can never understand

Just how much it's truly worth

Unless it's lost and can't be won back.