Life is a Circus | Teen Ink

Life is a Circus

June 29, 2014
By Hanban12 ELITE, Lake Worth, Florida
Hanban12 ELITE, Lake Worth, Florida
133 articles 7 photos 631 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.&quot;<br /> Henry David Thoreau<br /> <br /> &quot;I fell in love the way you fall asleep; slowly, and then all at once.&quot;<br /> John Green


Make way for the Big Top,
We must put on a show.
Make way for the Big Top;
There’s nowhere else to go.

Step right up, and we’ll start
With a somewhat cynical look at the conductor.
He stands
In the center of the ring and
Commands
Animals and acrobats into position, but only because
He himself is tired of people pushing him around.
Sweat drizzles down his plump face,
Cheeks glowing bright red.
And no one will know that it’s because
He had consumed a significant amount of alcohol
Beforehand.

Over there’s the juggler,
Who juggles much more
Than whirling bowling pins and thrown props.
Look closely, and you’ll notice hearts, thoughts and dreams
Spin and crash during practice sessions,
But all they will ever see
Are objects
Cascading to the ground.

Over there sit the so-called “freaks,”
Who barely make enough money to keep food on the table.
Are they not people, just as much as us?
They obtain
Unacceptable traits
In our society.
When one is desperate,
One naturally partakes in desperate actions;
And in this case, the “freaks” compromised to the powerful,
And chose to succumb to humanity’s relentless criticisms and its
Cruel, finger-pointing mocks.

Toes pointed and head held high,
Watch for the tight-roper scaling the sky.
She cautiously moves forward, one step at a time.
It’s inevitable that the rope will waver and she will stumble,
But looking down
Is never an option.

This is to all the conductors, the jugglers, the freaks, and tight-ropers out there,
Looking to fit in.
The ones who lead, the ones who follow, and the ones who simply
Hold the tickets to the show.

Yes, we must always make way for the Big Top.

I mean, where else is there to go?



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This article has 5 comments.


on Aug. 22 2014 at 11:47 pm
Olivia-Atlet ELITE, Dardenne Prairie, Missouri
325 articles 10 photos 1165 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To these the past hath its phantoms,<br /> More real than solid earth;<br /> And to these death does not mean decay,<br /> But only another birth" <br /> - Isabella Banks

Another MASTERPIECE. The repition of where else is there to go, and the fact that we all have to make way is such a great message. WELL DONE! XO

on Aug. 5 2014 at 10:51 pm
EmilytheBelleofA. DIAMOND, Athens, Georgia
81 articles 5 photos 1486 comments

Favorite Quote:
To love is to be vulnerable; Triumph is born out of struggle; We notice shadows most when they stand alone in the midst of overwhelming light.

I'm sorry it took me awhile to comment! I read thsi one, but I didn't have time to comment on your poem. I think your poem is true. We are made to go for the Big Top, and like you said: where else is there to go? I absolutely love your poem. Wonderful job. Thank you for sharing this.

on Aug. 4 2014 at 10:58 pm
Fallen_ PLATINUM, Quakertown, Pennsylvania
25 articles 3 photos 433 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot; a shattered world is only an opening into a new beginning with laughs, smiles, and love all around enter the world of the light and away from the broken darkness&quot;

Title was perfect for this poem. I love your emotion and imagery. Once again you laid out a picture in the mind with your words masterfully. Incredible

on Jul. 16 2014 at 3:24 pm
PirateCountry DIAMOND, Muncie, Indiana
91 articles 18 photos 330 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I don&#039;t know half of you half as well as I should like and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.&quot;

You did a very good job with this. Nice work! I really like the uneasy feeling the poem has.

midnightwoah said...
on Jul. 6 2014 at 6:38 pm
midnightwoah, Monett, Missouri
0 articles 0 photos 188 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;We accept the love we think we deserve.&quot; -Stephen Chbosky

The title goes perfectly with your free verse. I imagine this work to go inside of a children's picture book about circuses.