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When The Circus Leaves Town -Poetry Friday

 Every summer Silver's circus comes to our town at a time when the numbers of visiting holiday makers and locals are at their zenith. 

They stay for about a month over summer drawing crowds from all across the peninsula. Then suddenly, they are gone-off to their next location. 

 I have been inside the bigtop. Here is my poem to these annual circus visitors. I enjoyed the opportunity to indulge in a little wordplay...







When The Circus Left Town


When the circus left town 

And the tent was folded away

-The clowns cried

The trapeze artist struggled 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

As if 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


It is once again Poetry Friday and our host this time is Heidi Mordhurst at My Juicy Little Universe. Heidi's post centres on bringing to our attention a number of poems written and composed by kids.  The poems help to remind us that the future of our planet belongs to these, our youngest poets. 





Comments

  1. Great wordplay, Alan. I especially like the caliber of the human cannonball...bada boom! ;)

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  2. Wonderful, Alan! The right words in all the right places.

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    1. The poet in all of us hopes this is where our words land, Rose. Thank you.

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  3. Alan, I have never know you to write withOUT indulging in a little wordplay! This is very fun and clever and reverses the trope of "when the circus comes to town." The fire eater!

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    1. Thank you for your insightful observations, Heidi. You have alerted me to a totally unplanned reverse trope. I am indeed a wordplayer...

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  4. Each one's a smile, Alan, but my favorite is the flamethrower, with a history! Now I wonder about the lion tamer? They must love staying about a month!

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    1. thank you, Linda. i left the lion tamer out as they are not part of our current circus offerings. For the circus to stay for a month shows it must be a lucrative location.

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  5. Alan, what a fun concept and great execution! I thoroughly enjoyed your poem – from tent to ringmaster. I wish you would write a whole circus collection.

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    1. Thanks, Tracey. I haven't thought about a circus collection to be honest , but I do have another poem about the juggler. Glad you liked the poem.

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  6. This is Janice. I liked how you visited each character in the circus and put us in touch with their mourning, ending with the ringleader missing his audience.

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    1. Thank you Janice. They were all sad to leave in the end.

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  7. Pun-master, too?? Very fun, Alan. I feel as though a circus leaving town is a great prompt to try. Keep you posted!

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    1. I have an honours degree in Dad Jokes. Patricia. Look forward to see where this prompting takes you...

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  8. I like your bittersweet take on this poem Alan, thanks for this new view that turns the tables a bit!

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    1. A bit of table turning is quite stimulating for we poets, Michelle. Glad you enjoyed the different take on things.

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  9. Love it! Wordplay, when done well like this is so satisfying! More poems of wordplay in our world, please. We all need to lighten up a little.

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    1. For me wordplay has always been such fun to indulge in as a writer/poet. It has seeped into my writing persona and for this I remain ever grateful. I'm glad you feel favourably disposed towards wordplay, Linda. Like you, I believe it helps us lighten up a little.

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  10. You have certainly captured the details of the circus packing up to leave...and it a way that makes me think everyone wants to stay.

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  11. Alan, what fun! You did have some word play fun. I love a great pun, and I enjoyed the way each character felt a little lost in the packing up. Bravo!

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    1. It was indeed fun, Denise. I remain an avowed punster. Glad you like them.

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  12. Replies
    1. My absolute pleasure. Thank you for your response.

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