I ... entered the poem of life, whose purpose is ... simply to witness the beauties of the world, to discover the many forms that love can take. (Barabara Blackman in 'Glass After Glass')

These poems are works in progress and may be updated without notice. Nevertheless copyright applies to all writings here and all photos (which are either my own or used with permission). Thank you for your comments. I read and appreciate them all, and reply here to specific points that seem to need it — or as I have the leisure. Otherwise I reciprocate by reading and commenting on your blog posts as much as possible.

24 July 2016

My Role in the Circus of Life

Most circus performers
are versatile now. You have to be.
Acrobat and clown, weight-lifter
and juggler, aerialist ...
well, you get the idea. Me,
I'm a little different: between
specialties, not this one plus that, 
but something of all. Or none. 
What I do is – 

                      I jump sideways. 
And the way I do it is to land 
somewhere unexpected, leaving
my audience scratching
its collective head: 'How did ...
why ...?' And I love it!
Not that I do it to shock.
It's just the way I'm made, 
how my freaky synapses work.


Written for Play it Again at 'imaginary garden with real toads', in  response to the prompt: 'Is your life a circus?  If so, which circus performer are you?  Tell me about your act . . . in 90 words or less.' (Mine's the full 90, excluding title.) 

See also Jumping Sideways (memoir material).

13 comments:

  1. LOL, sometimes the magic just comes naturally.

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  2. It's just the way I'm made,
    how my freaky synapses work.

    It certainly makes life more interesting!

    Hank

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  3. Thank God for those spontaneous leaps!

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  4. It's important to always keep them guessing.

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  5. Who needs boring synapses, anyway? Freaky and unpredictable all the way, if you ask me.

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  6. Jumping sideways is very appealing here, as are your unpredictable synapses. Mine seem that way too--better to jump sideways, than stumble! Thanks, Rosemary.

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  7. A surprising move is always good in the circus or poetry.

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  8. COOL! Leaping sideways! I might need to try that - right into a parallel reality, LOL. The possibilities are endless.

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  9. Your character had better work hard to stay in the big top. Some may want her for a sideshow.
    ..

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  10. Oh, true, how true - is the need for every performer to be versatile. (Triple threat, anyone?) This I know in my bones, from years and years of auditions! But you are right in that what will surprise people will also inspire and move them - or at least, cause them to stop - scratching their heads - and keep you in their hearts. It will also get you a callback! ;-) So, forge ahead with your quirky, unique self! You are the more beautiful for it. Thanks for sharing.

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