~Elizabeth Marie Wise~
Originally Composed March 29th, 2012
It has been too long since I have picked up the pen,
The questions spin in my mind again and again.
This three ring circus I find myself performing,
Not realizing the difficulty of tight-rope walking.
Balance is critical in this game we play,
Focus is crucial to prevent the mind’s stray.
But what of the ring master, taming beasts of the wild?
Was this ability simply an unattainable fantasy as a child?
Flame eaters, contortionists, half man and half woman;
This describes the array in which my core has twisted transitions.
Clowns, who can forget their big floppy shoes?
The comedy they bring, for a moment halts my ill mood.
A circus it seems, is alive within my form,
Will gypsies proclaim my future with looks of forlorn?
The bearded lady and the musical monkey,
Will they distract me just long enough to rob me of sanity?
Cotton candy, peanuts, popcorn and thick funnel cakes,
The cheap pleasures I seek are such distracting short-lived fakes.
Elephants at hand, now that is a feat to behold,
Will my memory match theirs with deep stories that beg to unfold?
Motorcycle riders in an enclosed metal round cage,
Adrenaline races inside me, stirs up my stifled rage!
The innocent girl across the arena, dark deep eyes, balloon animal in hand,
Reflected once my displayed perfection of a porcelain doll’s majestic life long plan.
Her ice cream cone drips slowly to dainty fingers,
The sticky cool mess is lost as she joins fanciful daydreamers.
Dreaming to live, dreaming to love, dreaming for excitement and perfect success,
Butterflies fill her tummy as her chest tightens, suddenly ice cream is melted across her dress.
A clown rides by on a unicycle, honking his horn,
Spraying her dress with a water flower trades a smile for mother’s scorn.
The circus you live within yourself,
Is it a spectacle, a heaven or a hell?
Are you a caged beast taking center stage?
As the trainer whips you with savage rage?
Are you the ringleader dawning top hat and strong pride?
Do you take steps to lengthen each magnified stride?
Do you find humor in the struggles of ill-fitting conditions,
As a clown flops around in giant shoes, oversized pants exaggerating life renditions?
Are you the contortionist, bent in unimaginable ways?
Seeking the adoration of a stranger’s awed praise?
Where do you live in the circus of yours?
Who do you play when curtains draw back into open doors?
How often do you switch characters for the sake of survival?
It might be interesting to see how the oversized giant might feel quite small.
When the flames have been eaten, the beasts roar their last roar,
The curtains drawn drop at a rope’s release into a closed door;
Who are you in your own three ring circus?
Shhh, mine is a secret that only I and gypsies possess...
Oh, this is beautiful and so poignant.
ReplyDeleteWhen you have a the chance, find the song, "Send in the Clowns" and listen carefully to the words. Your poem goes perfectly with it.