Charlie Chaplin Goes to Heaven

The sidestep past cops, the chase up a ramp,

the sly duck, the quick jump to a ladder,

the rung-by-rung scramble, the cops madder

and madder, the get-away by the scamp

into the fog, the reappearance by the scamp

before the sun, the mustachioed face gladder

and gladder, the eyes inexplicably sadder,

the light above like a trillion watt lamp,

and still the ladder, the ladder, hands and feet

up the ladder, the wry wink, the scamp's hat

almost blown off by wind, the smile so proud

as the scamp leaps like a cat onto a cloud,

and finds a jew's harp and vaudeville fiddle--

God's fey organ grinder in the middle.

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