The Marx Brothers Poem by Sheena Blackhall

A clown paints on a frown, a smile
Groucho, Chico, Harpo, Zeppo
New York welcomesxenophiles
No pogroms, yellow stars, no ghetto

Sons of Minnie and Sam Marx
(Jewish immigrants from Europe)
Their grandma was a yodelling harpist
Their grandpa, a ventriloquist

Minnie, was their manager
Those inspirational vaudeville brothers
God can't be everywhere at once,
that's why He created mothers.

Stage names came at a game of poker
Nicknamed as the cards were dealt
By fellow performer Art Fisher,

Herbert "Zeppo" Marxwas youngest
Like a chimp named Mr. Zippo,
Herbert performed acrobatics,
(Zep's Italian slang for baby)

Miltonearned the name of Gummo.
The family hypochondriac,
Wore gumshoes, in every weather.
He chewed gum, the troupe's best dancer, .

Arthur "Harpo" Marx: mime artist,
Played the harp, loved using props
Harpo's comic style was visual,
Wore a wig, a curly mop
Acted mute when on the stage
Whistledto communicate.
Bullied, he left school at eight

Was a secret courier to the US embassy
Smuggledmessages from Russia
Taped sealed missives to his leg
Harpo wed, adoptedkids
Raised them happy, raised them well
‘I want a kid in every window,
Waving goodbye, "and folk tell
In his will, he left his harp
To the State of Israel.

Played six different instruments.
Pluckedbizarre props from his coat,
A wooden mallet, fish, rope, tie,
Pic of a broad in underwear,
A cup of hot coffee, a sword
Mime artists need no spoken word
God gave man two ears one mouth,
so listen more, talk less.

Leonard was Chico, (he chased chicks) .
He used a fake Italian accent,
Developed to deal with neighbourhood toughs
Wore shabby clothes, a curly wig, a Tyrolean hat.
Had a lifelong gambling habit.
Losing consistently at card games,
Horse racing, dog racing too
Our lives are fashioned by our choices.
First we make our choices. Then our choices make us.

Juliuswas nicknamed Groucho
Hung a "grouch" bag ofhis money
Round his neck. Julius was thrifty
Guitarist, singer, rather grouchy
Grease painted moustache, a stooped walk.
Life's not as good with money as it is bad without it.

Mussolini thought Duck Soup -
(The brothers' satire of dictators)
Was a hit on him and Rome,
Hebanned the film (By this stage
Their work was banned in Germany,
Due to their Jewish heritage) .
It's better to die of laughter than of fear.

A clown paints on a frown, a smile
Groucho, Chico, Harpo, Zeppo
New York welcomesxenophiles
No pogroms, yellow stars, no ghetto