"black humor"

The comedian is but the lesser half.
You could be on the verge of incision.
And you suddenly laugh.

Explaining the action onstage on my behalf,
Your face again undergoes division.
The comedian is but the lesser half.

A jester's wink and you are tracing the graph
of us back. A preordained decision.
And you suddenly laugh.

Not all of the masks cover your face. Do the math.
The audience is alive, but the applause mere derision.
The comedian is but the lesser half.

Tired from studying jokes, you slump and expose from sock a golden calf
The pun is removed as you finish the script's last revision.
And you suddenly laugh.

You recite your jokes like lyrics over a tuneless staff
While the undertones miss with precision.
The comedian is but the lesser half.
And you suddenly laugh.