Circus Poems

Circus Poems

Snake Oil Man

It's a miracle,
these bright blue pills!
Just two will do it –
cure your aches
even heart pains
that cause those curious tears,
so embarassing,
that no one really understands.

You'll feel
instant relief
– can lift, carry, bend,
prepare meals,
clean up,
do the washing –
without those
distressing thoughts,
to slow you down.

These pills will calm
your jittery nerves,
soothe those tingles deep inside,
so you smile
as you work,
as you do
what you must.

Just take them with water
or whatever
to get them down.
Trust me –
They'll do the trick
and make you feel
all better.

And the snake oil man
grins,
his hand
already deep
inside
your pocket.

The Middle Air
I stride the middle air,
delicately,
a tightrope walker
on a silver wire
high above the circus crowd.
The tent is dark,
the canvas
blocks the moonlit sky,

A mis-step and I plunge
blindly into blackest air,
spiral swiftly down
until I land,
feet first
like a cat,
bend my legs, spring up,
and stand,

a gymnast's lithe dismount.

The applause I hear
is my heartbeat,
in rhythm all its own.

Fun House
There will come a time
when spoken words
will hold a fun house mirror before you,
an image grotesque
with bulging arms
and tooth pick legs.

Turn instead to your poems,
which show your true image
– arms flexing to embrace,
legs muscled to pace the path ahead.
Hold fast to your poems –
they show what's real
in a carnival world
where the barker promises
to show you never-before-seen freaks
if you'll only go inside.

Roller Coaster
There's a moment
when you've crawled up the ramp,
ratcheting slowly,
almost painfully, to the top,
and then, just before the car you're in
plunges down along the downward rail,
you're terrified
because you just don't know
how it will feel
to fall headlong,
with no restraint,
not knowing yet
what you learn on the way down,
– that somewhere there must be a bottom,
and the track will pull you up,
and slow you down,
and come to rest,
– your heart beating fast,
but still beating
strong.

WomenCanDoIt Home | A Mother's Poems | Trees on the Wing | Island Songs | Journey Poems | Healing Poems | Image Galleries
: Freedom Poems | Poems about poetry | Poems of the camera eye |Garden poems| Fairytale poems | Goddess poems | Circus poems

Cat Door, Place des Vosges | Red Dress, Place Vendome | on the road poems; Yosemite poems | Ghost Ranch Companion; © 2005, Lenore Horowitz

Snake Oil Man It's a miracle, these bright blue pills! Just two will do it – cure your aches even heart pains that cause those curious tears, so embarassing, that no one really understands. You'll feel instant relief – can lift, carry, bend, prepare meals, clean up, do the washing – without those distressing thoughts, to slow you down. These pills will calm your jittery nerves, soothe those tingles deep inside, so you smile as you work, as you do what you must. Just take them with water or whatever to get them down. Trust me – They'll do the trick and make you feel all better. And the snake oil man grins, his hand already deep inside your pocket.
	The Middle Air I stride the middle air, delicately, a tightrope walker on a silver wire high above the circus crowd. The tent is dark, the canvas blocks the moonlit sky, A mis-step and I plunge blindly into blackest air, spiral swiftly down until I land, feet first like a cat, bend my legs, spring up, and stand, a gymnast's lithe dismount. The applause I hear is my heartbeat, in rhythm all its own.
Fun House There will come a time when spoken words will hold a fun house mirror before you, an image grotesque with bulging arms and tooth pick legs. Turn instead to your poems, which show your true image – arms flexing to embrace, legs muscled to pace the path ahead. Hold fast to your poems – they show what's real in a carnival world where the barker promises to show you never-before-seen freaks if you'll only go inside.
	Roller Coaster There's a moment when you've crawled up the ramp, ratcheting slowly, almost painfully, to the top, and then, just before the car you're in plunges down along the downward rail, you're terrified because you just don't know how it will feel to fall headlong, with no restraint, not knowing yet what you learn on the way down, – that somewhere there must be a bottom, and the track will pull you up, and slow you down, and come to rest, – your heart beating fast, but still beating strong.