she walks through the worm earth
dirt with a circus mind
crippling headache like a roar
of tigers
eats a bag of peanuts while
elephants starve
she watches a saw bone man fix
broken acrobats
who trapeze onto straw floors
smells a thousand miles of
rail track
and smoke;
train stations orphanages to
children
where Tennyson holds up
pictures
of fairy tales;
horse and buggies sit quiet
on dirt streets
as a circus caravan leaves
wagon wheel metal
marks
sideshow freaks a confusing
swirl of ugly
and bizarre
hookie school children watch
from behind nails
and crooked boards;
air slams on big top canvas,
inside,
clowns come out of cartoon
buildings,
horses and hoops of fire,
they jump through
like moths through a lantern
light,
in a gilded cage, lions pace
with memories
audience puts its clapping in
mason jars,
grocer sells on shelves next
to old cans of soup;
she was a high−wire performer,
slipped
fell to a sound of a crackerjack
box tab pull
her epitaph makes ash and dust
her paper
husband to hold, rain cries like
tears
stands with flowers, reads a poem,
“i sleep in your sounds that
call me
i swallow your voice,
your love
i forget this world and dream of
your eyes kissing me
your soul is liquid thirst in
my heart”
light of day paints earth,
he feels
her breath, her touch,
a loving silence.
Copyright © 05/25/2013 Ðark Ṝoasted Ƣoetry®