Metaphorical

The Joker’s divinity
is laughter;
his faith keeps him alive,
it is his water and his bread.
Among the colors he wears
red would stand out,
were he not so skilled
at hiding his own hell.
He laughs at others’ hearts,
offers roses of sarcasm
and knives of tenderness
to lovers who kiss
against the doors
of his night.
The Joker mocks
those who throw water
on the world’s flames,
even as thirst
drains his soul;
he pretends to be versed in kissing
yet his lips are those of a hermit,
with the abstinence of a saint
who longs to turn into a demon.
“Maybe one day…”,
says the Joker,
while love keeps
the world spinning for others;
“maybe one day, yes, one day…”
and meanwhile he whispers
his plea to Cupid:
“pierce me, once and for all.”