WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED AT THE CIRCUS

 

WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED AT THE CIRCUS

We have always lived at the circus

I imagine myself telling my classmates

In younger years in an oral report

Or in an essay or in later years making

Up a children’s book of this title.

The book will be yellow and red with the picture

Of a circus tent striped yellow and red

It will invite festive feelings from the children who see it

And want to read it and it will have friendly pictures

Of elephants with feather boas of fuschia and electric blue

Im sorry I never can spell fuschia so Im just going with this version

And tiny rhinestone tiaras and the elephants will bow and play with the

Children and never stampede or I am saying this aloud in front of 30 other children

With rapt faces

Oh its quite pippi longstocking’s style I say my hair also in two red braids

You’d be surprised how often we have peanuts in the shell for dinner

And cotton candy for dessert and peanut brittle, pralines…butternut ice cream

And then go off  and do our homework to the sound of organ grinders grinding

Out bel canto merrily

And the clown dolls are happy as in Raggedy Ann stories

And we go on picnics with them and all the dolls every afternoon

And eat little sandwiches like they do in England watercress and

Strawberry jam and cream cheese yes they’ll do

And cheese doodles pipes up my sister in a pink and purple polka dot dress

And I confess with a raspberry lemonade TA DA!! this is as far as I have gotten in the story

Read you more, tomorrow if you’re good, morning glories

Otherwise its Christmas trimming without tinsel.

And you all know , THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE!

mary angela douglas 17 july 2024