Jimmy Komick joked on TV—
Light—people thought him a joker,
Finding him so very funny—
As a comic, a real smoker—
Until the act was a poker
And the crowd the butt of the joke.
They voted to shock his croaker.
It may have cost, but free he spoke.
Komick came back on you see,
His joking this time a stroker
“Free speech”, he thought, “has to be free”
He called his network a choker
To keep ad sales—the real joker.
“Voters”, he hoped, “won’t hurt this bloke.”
Wrong! Instead, they used a poker.
It may have cost, but free he spoke.
Jimmy, Jimmy—back on TV
To recover as a joker.
There, doubling down, he made no plea—
But there became a fire stoker.
The voters hated this croaker—
He called the emperor a joke—
Cut off his wordy poker.
It may have cost, but free he spoke.
Mr. Pres., Jim’s got no poker—
Tongue’s been lopped off—he cannot joke—
Komick now sounds like a croaker.
It may have cost, but free he spoke.
© 2025 Tristan Robert Lange. All rights reserved.
First published on tristanrobertlange.com, October 31, 2025.
Tittu
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Author:
Tristan Robert Lange (
Offline) - Published: October 31st, 2025 06:57
- Comment from author about the poem: Happy Halloween! 🎃 This is the eighth and final part of the first season in my series, Devilishly Dreadful. An original dreadful of mine, this poem takes the strict ballade form and twists satire into horror. Comedy curdles, free speech meets its price, and the voice of a joker becomes the dreadful croak that closes Season 1. Stay tuned for the next dreadful season. ALSO: I’m now published in an anthology featuring authors from across the Poconos, PA. All proceeds benefit the Pocono Liars Club — a collective of authors and editors dedicated to supporting and mentoring local writers. Available in paperback and Kindle, please consider purchasing one and supporting a great cause. https://a.co/d/6DboFuE
- Category: Gothic
- Views: 12
Offline)
Comments5
Jokes can go flat, you know - poor old Jim, the embarrassment!😅🤣😇
So very true! 😂🤣 A few comics have learned that as of last I hear. Poor Jim indeed!! 😵 Thank you so very much, Dave! I knew you would get it! 🐸🎭🔥🙏
This one reads like a dark fable about free speech. Jimmy keeps cracking jokes, but every time he does, the stakes get higher until he’s literally silenced. I like how the wordplay (poker, croaker, joker) keeps it playful even as the story turns grim. That refrain “It may have cost, but free he spoke” lands like a warning: speaking truth through humour is never really free. 🕊️🙏
Arqios, you read straight to the marrow of it...humour weaponized, truth punished, and the refrain echoing like a verdict. Your insight closes the dreadful season exactly as intended. Sadly, this is a reality we see playing out in real time, which makes this dreadful, well, all the more dreadful. Again, your time and perceptive read are very much appreciated. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
Most welcome dear friend. 🙏🕊️
Tristan I can not but think that this is a satire as well as a poem and that the victim of this joke does not take jokes well although you might say he is a joke himself. A fun read and no I will not hold my tongue despite what the king says.
My friend, I love that you recognized the deeper jab beneath the rhyme. You saw both the humor and the hazard in it. Komick becomes the victim of his own jokes in a "free speech" world...the joke himself as you said. Thank you, as always, for your preceptive eye and supportive presence, my friend. It means more in these times (an at all times) than I can express! 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
You are most welcome Tristan
I thought you meant Jimmy Krankie, a UK comedian (a woman in real life)! No relation to P.... Ohh we knows the guy by now! lol.
We have our own Jimmy Komicks over here too. Notice many of them are ACTUALLY named Jimmy. Like...if you name your kid Jimmy, does he/she have a 1/5 chance of becoming a comic? Popeye knows! 🤣
Is Popeye a comedian?! lol.
Free speech, don't believe the hype.
You might speak your mind, but that doesn't sway the masses.
Doesn't matter how big you think you are, the audience is bigger.
For sure. Free speech, turns out, is nothing but hype! But it looks really sharp in ink on hemp parchment, I hear! 🤣 Thank you Paul. You definitely got the satire and I knew you would! Much appreciated, friend! 🐸🎭🔥🙏
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