An Actor Dead

Something I wrote half a century ago, best I can recall it.

---

There was an actor who played the part
that was his private show.
And he could fool most anyone,
most anywhere he'd go.
He had about him his audience,
which was fairly large.
It contained himself and other fools
that believed his private farce.

The actor's dead.
I'm just as glad.
'Cause dead's the act
the actor had.
He saw he was acting,
so killed himself,
to kill the part
the actor held.
And I don't know,
it's just as well,
'cause a carpenter's born
of an actor's shell.

For there was a girl who watched the show,
and it made him hurt inside.
‘Till he could stand no longer to act,
so he stabbed his heart and died.
And the girl who watched simply walked away,
for what else was there to do?
She only saw the missing show,
for she was an actor, too.

Well,
the actor's dead.
I'm just as glad.
'Cause dead's the act
the actor had.
He saw he was acting,
so killed himself
to kill the part
the actor held.
And I don't know,
it's just as well.
'Cause a carpenter's born
of this actor's shell.

---

M. E.