When Pickles answered "What's you favorite

When Pickles answered "What's you favorite color" with "Paisley", we all knew that she was destined for

the clown hall of main. Pickles wasn't one of those run-of-the-mill clowns. She was special. She had clown moxy. She'd dared challenge the clown status quo by

wearing dowdy gray clothes & no make up. She eschewed the usual venues like birthdays & circuses performing at wakes. Pickles black clown humor caused a few departed souls to

shutter. Pickles purchased her first tube of lipstick. When she painted her lips red, they practiclly lept out in contrast to her dowdy grey clothes. Her world started to change

as she looked in the mirror. Her grey straggly hair and lined face seemed to disappear as the glow from her red lips mesmerized her. The years, the walls of her tiny bedroom all ju

st fell away as if they never existed. She stood inside the scallop shell, regally nude, majestic, the wind blowing through her hair, reborn. "You shall be known as Venus," said

the goddess. She turned on the half-shell and questioned the voice in the sky: "Venus... Really? I was kind of hoping for Serena, or was that name already taken?"

Venus replied, "Forgive me, for in my aroused state, I sometimes make mistakes, except in bed, but what is done is done. My boy named sue, you will truly inspire someone someday,"

"You mean they way you have inspired me?" Sue asked

"No," came the reply. "No, I don't mean like that at all." Sue's hand was patted consolingly. She frowned.