Life, According to Chaplin

Author's note: I had a hard time coming up with something for Chaplin; it seems appropriate for such a complex man. This isn't one of my favorites, but I hope you like it. It's based on one of his quotes: "Life is tragedy in close up, comedy in long shot".

tragedy in close up:
the shriveled hands of poverty
brought him forth that April day
into a world that destroyed every dream
his spark became a lantern
that led him to escape -
a world free of the sounds of toil and pain,
unorthodox, quite volatile and strange.
there are no scripts to study his genius -
the little tramp put heaven in a flower,
the simple joy of living in his walk,
love became a child dressed in rags.
his views were "dangerous" and led to exile
but eventually, the error of the masses faded;
and as he wept, they honored his life's work -
comedy in long shot.



Charles Chaplin