July 13th, 2003 5:58 p.m. pdt
The circus came to town,
in other towns.The candy cane cacophany of other plans and other happinesses
The lumbering elephant of danger stepping on the toes of propriety
The laughing eyes of laughing clowns caring not for proper etiquette,
And the ringmaster,Announcing apocalypse as if it were a media sensation.
The circus tents rose large among the buildings of the town
Another town, in memory, another age, another time.
The rusty wheels of circumstance turn heavy on the soul,
And those damn laughing clowns wouldn't go away.The carny folk had frowns behind their laughter,
And the tents had to fold, as the money got scarce,
The bottle wouldn't cease to fall again and again...And the clowns.
That damn clown with the funny feet and the laugh.
The circus left and the memories linger
A busted balloon and an upturned middle finger
What lessons to learn from the bright floppy clowns?
Did the mayor learn lessons when the circus left town?The loud dissonant voices yelling about love and doubt
The circus' round brilliance gave up and about
I called to the ringmaster, or was it a shout.
And the circus came to town,
But it was other towns,So long ago in memory
That I don't remember it at all.
But that clown was still laughing at me.
Link to the complete text versions of Poetry in 2003
copyright 1999-2004 by Michael F. Nyiri
ElectricPoetry
AllThingsMike
