Overture

I am now a member
       of an endangered species;

And I fly above,
circus clouds,
basking in the far flung shadows of
trapeze artists

as if I could steal their grace
and twist and
  u
t    r
  n
and grasp onto ideas,
And I am a member,
of those who sit and think

and think
yet never look before they leap
never quite reach the swing
(I’d be a terrible trapeze artist)

Maybe I’m a member of the dragons,
who belch flames
(or play with lighters
one or the other)

Maybe I spray kerosene into the air
and light matches off of the
s
i
d        of my throat.
e

I think maybe one day I’d like to join a circus;
but for now,

maybe I’ll just play
with sock puppets.

(let me think about it)