Monday, March 28, 2011

When the circus comes to town...

Image courtesy of Hearing Voices
The March Challenge, in honor of the fact that 'on March 28, 1881, “The Greatest Show on Earth,” also known as the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, was formed,' wanted writers to write about the circus.  I wrote a Monotetra about it:

Ringside

Trapeze artists fly through the air -
and look!  Is that a dancing bear?
And elephants!  Oh this I swear:
my love affair, my love affair

with circuses is still with me
since earliest of memory.
They come to town?  I want to see
as devotee, as devotee

what’s under Big Top.  Clowns and tricks
do capture interest: they transfix
while jugglers juggle balls and sticks.
I get my kicks.  I get my kicks.

I’ve often wondered at each show
if I would have the guts to go
and run off with them, but…you know…
I can’t, although…I can’t, although…

it’s fun to dream, but audience
is where I’m meant to be.  Makes sense,
since I’ll still get my fill of tents
without suspense; without suspense.

If I were meant to walk into
a cage of lions (my debut?)
I fear the lions might well chew
more than my shoe, more than my shoe.

So here’s to sitting in my seat.
I get to see it all, complete.
I’ll cheer to each and every feat.
My three-ringed treat!  My three-ringed treat!

###

5 comments:

  1. First, before I started reading your contribution, I had to google Monotetra ... yours is delightful, and simpler to understand example than the example I read ... with your contribution, I am more likely to give it a try (much later) ... the googled version scared me off! :D

    Kudos on the prompt ~~ becca

    ReplyDelete
  2. How very well the form suited what you had to say on circuses. They're not everyone's cup of tea, but you have brought out the circus romance beautifully.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wonderfully done, in just the right form for the words!

    ReplyDelete
  4. fantastic RJ. A marvelous poem, loved its playfulness and vividness.

    trisha
    http://sharmishthabasu.wordpress.com/2011/03/26/circus/

    ReplyDelete