May Days Poems- 'Circus Minimus' May21

 


May 21


On his day in  2017, the great era of the circus came to an end when two of America's giant cicus troupes  Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus performed their final show at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. They had combined in a last ditch effort to stave off the inevitable end. Enormous costs, changing social attitudes and entertainment preferences had all played a part in the downfall of these huge circus organizations. Circus's persist to this day, but they are much smaller, leaner operations and the types of circus acts has also undergone significant change.

 







Circus Minimus

When the circus left town for the final time

And the tent was folded away

-The clowns cried

The lion tamer roared his disapproval

The trapeze artist strugglrd to come to grips with the matter

The fire eater contacted an old flame

In search of a little warmth

While the man they called the human cannonball

Left with undue haste

Like a shot from a -

For parts unknown

The jugglers

Couldn’t handle their despair

And all the while

The ringmaster

Walked in endless circles

Intent on being stoic

But still talking in a decidedly loud voice

To anyone who would lend him an ear.

©Alan j Wright

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