The Circus of Life

Under the Big Top,
The wide starless sky,
He juggles his sorrows,
The happy masked clown.
His tears clean the makeup,
He fumbles flaming knives,
No one will help him,
The audience watches.

Part of the Three Rings,
Past present and future,
She treads on the tightrope,
Her doom is below.
The children are gasping,
The awe permeating,
Her foot lands in thin air,
The umbrella twirls down.

The acrobats, the flexible,
Trapeze 'cross the air,
The tamers, the cat-folk,
Escape, run away.
It renders us helpless,
This parody of limelight,
But we can't lose our balance,
Cannot drop any flame.

September 4, 2003.