Circus
I love to
see the man eat fire
For I have done that too
In some borrowed costume
In its worn-out
shape
And using his words too
To bring alive the fire
I love to
feel her close
And feel her breathing fire.
The Merry-go-round
I am on
a merry-go-round
It is going faster and faster --
My feet are off the ground
I love the
painted horses
The perfume in the air
And the fairy-tale music
I can see
the dancer --
It is taking me around.
The Trapeze Artist
I love to
see the man swing high
In his green and gold sequins
Against the canvas-top's painted sky
I love to
watch his body fall low
As it almost skips the ground
And hear his heartbeat grow
I love to
see him spin -- then
Somersault onto the sawdust below.
The Knife Thrower
There stands
the knife-thrower
Slowly blacking out --
So he no longer sees the balloons
But throws
the knives anyway
There is sombre music around
The elephants are waiting to come on
With their
tramping feet
Who will take his knives away?
The Wheel Operator
Something
tells me
The crowd will be bad tonight --
No laughter in the air
No sound
of coins hitting
No whispered midnight kisses
No hot-dog aroma
Even the
clowns look grim
Come watch the wheel spin.
The Wheel's Gambler
And you
perhaps lost
In that fortune --
You have spun an unlucky number
The black
ball is on the nine --
No good ever came of that
Your chances have been taken
For better
or for worse
Come spin the wheel again.
On the Tightrope
The tightrope
walker
With his silver wrists balancing
The long ivory tusk pole
Takes two
shaky steps
Stares into the eyes of his crowd
And plunges across the wire
His hands
and feet are sure
And his will is of iron desire.
The Red Carpet
Roll out
the red carpet
The Strong Man approaches --
His muscles oiled and tanned
Hear the
ladies ooh and aah
As he strides around the ring
He lifts the deaf and blind boy
Above his
crew-cut head --
We wait to hear the boy sing.
Fairy Floss
The Fat
Woman is at it again --
She is eating all the ice-cream
And now the fairy floss is gone
There is
pink around her mouth
Pink all over her dress
And sticky pink on her hands
She says
she is a princess
Beneath her sail-like cape.
The Performance
Hardly a
day goes by
Without the sound of the crowd
Rumbling along climbing into stands
Getting
ready to watch the show
Taking out handkerchiefs
Smiling sneezing coughing a lot
When will
it all end -- and how?
In fire or in snow?
1/2 and 1/2
Half-man
half-woman
Which half will I show to you?
Put your money on the counter
You ask
me questions
I cry and laugh from both sides
And speak in different ways
I can show
you a good time too --
But first what sex are you?
Juggler
Three hundred
days
Throwing balls in the air
Looping them in and out
Each ball
goes higher
And falls down lower
I am feeling sick
My back
is sore --
I must learn some new tricks.
The Rider
The bare-back
rider
With his twirling moustache
And manly perfumed chest
Circles
the ring standing
Upon the back of his horse
He doffs his hat to all
The pretty
ladies --
They throw him roses.
The Procession
First come
the lions
Then the tigers with their keepers
Some toothless fur dusty
Then the
elephants also led --
And the whip-cracking lion-tamer
In green velvet with blue stars
Sown on
to the jacket's lapels --
Everything shining under the lights.
Moving On
Pull out
all the stakes
Fold the tent in four --
The circus is leaving
Cage in
all the animals
Let the Strong Man
Pull off his fake tattoos
Put aside
your passion --
There is work to do.
Party
Drink some
wine for victory
The weekly run is through
You saw the child cry
The other
scream with delight
Drink some wine for victory
While you still have lips to drink
Your eyes
are bloodshot
Your hands are shaking too.
The Lion Tamer
Is your
heart a lion's heart
Does it beat so true?
Are your fears, a man's fears?
Is there
water on your face
Or is it wet with tears?
Your make-up's run
Your body's
thin --
The taming's all been done.
Waving
You wave
the magic wand
Three times -- I disappear
You bring me back
With three
more waves
And yet I'm not so near
I cannot see you now
One of us
is shrinking --
I don't know how.
The Grizzly Bear
Someone
has to mind the grizzly bear
Someone pokes him with a stick
Someone combs his hair
Someone
moves his ball and chain
Disturbs him in his lair
Someone feeds him apple-pie
Hits him
if he breaks a chair --
Mighty arms thrash thin air.
Sing Songs
Sing songs
to set you free
Nothing else will do it
No moaning no laughter
No foolish
tears no drunkenness
No loving whores
No bribing judges
All the
cages are locked --
There is no other key.
New Start
A child's
been born
To the dwarf and the acrobat
Everyone is happy
The clown
clicks his heels
The tumbler rolls on the mat
The jugglers do handstands
The strong
man cartwheels --
Only the child is forlorn.
Secrets
Who is having
a secret affair?
Under the blue sickly moonlight
I saw shadows out there
Beyond the
Big Top
Holding each other tight
One was trembling
One was
pale --
Are we doing what is right?
The Sister
She is the
sister of
Of the tight-rope walker
She has no style
She needs
a safety-net
When she performs
She laughs too much
Will I tell
you
I love you -- now or later?
Light
Out of the cage --
Sing dance till you drop
And your cheeks glisten
Your red
lips alive --
Soft still singing
You're warm you're breathing
You're so
light --
I can lift you up.
Lost
Let me be
your map
Whereby you plot your course
You've lost your way
The fortune-teller's
gone
To bed -- your giddy head
Revolves
You cannot
see for laughter
You cannot hear at all.
Blue Sky
The elephant's
dancing with
The giraffe -- the pigeon
Is necking with the dove
The clown
spins the dwarf
And throws their child
Into the air with joy
No crisis
no tears
Blue sky above.
The Acrobat
There is
a pure moment
When my body
Is like a circle -- no holes
Healed --
Complete -- Round
I am still
No words -- no lies -- no words
Quiet
Still.
The World
The world
is too small
It fits on my table --
Too small by half
To hold
this travelling show
Of tumbledown tacky
Clowns and jugglers
Too small
for all the emotions
That overflow a heart.
Again the Sister
What will
I have to do
To get her?
She has strung my heart
Out tight
as a rope
What is my part
In this circus?
I have fallen
for her
Where is my safety-net?