CIRCUS

CIRCUS


I AM AN ACTOR’S SON
WHOSE PARENTS WERE ACTORS
I’M TO THE MANNER BORN

MY MOTHER
WAS A GENTLE DRUID PRIESTESS
WHO TAUGHT ME TO BELIEVE
IN LITTLE PEOPLE
FOLK MEDICINE
DREAMS
TEA LEAVES
GENTLENESS

MY FATHER
NEVER FORGOT THE STAGE
WITHOUT TRYING
HE’D BE CENTER STAGE
HE’D ACT LIKE A MILLIONAIRE
WITH A HOLE IN HIS SHOE
ACCENTS
DIALOGUE
IMPROVISATION
A MARVEL OF IMAGINATION
AND EGO
NEEDED TO CARRY SUCH A BURDEN

WE WERE DEPRESSION CHILDREN
MY SISTERS AND I
BUT NEVER POOR
THOUGH TIMES WERE TIGHT
AND MONEY NONEXISTENT
BUT WE WERE NEVER POOR

VAUDEVILLE HAD FOLDED
HE’D BECOME
A PARKING GARAGE MANAGER
SERVICING THE BIG HOTELS
ONLY THE BEST
OFTEN HE’D WALK TO WORK
TO SAVE A DIME
BUT HE NEVER FORGOT THE STAGE

MY MOTHER
SEA CAPTAIN’S DAUGHTER
IMMIGRANT
FROM NEWFOUNDLAND
KEEPER OF THE ENGLISH TRADITION
OF GOOD MANNERS
FINDING HER WORLD TOO SMALL
WANTING TO TRY OURS
THE AMERICAN DREAM
AND BRINGING WITH HER
THE SURE KNOWLEDGE
THAT A CUPPA TEA
COULD FIX MOST EVERYTHING

MY FATHER
WOULD GET FREE TICKETS TO THE CIRCUS
FOR PUTTING POSTERS IN THE GARAGE WINDOWS
AND WE’D GO
TO FIND THE TICKET TAKER
WAS ALSO THE AERIALIST
THE USHER WAS ALSO THE CLOWN
THE HAWKER WAS ALSO THE ACROBAT
AND WHO KNEW
HOW MANY JOBS HAD THE LION TAMER

IT WAS A WORLD OF WONDER
GLITZ
LIES AND EXAGGERATION
EVERYTHING
WAS BROUGHT FROM EUROPE
WAS EXCEEDINGLY DANGEROUS
THEIR NAMES KEPT CHANGING
FROM FRENCH
TO POLISH
RUSSIAN
THEY WERE OFTEN NOBILITY
THEY WERE OFTEN THE SAME PERSON
WITH MANY NAMES

AND THEIR CARRIAGE
WAS DONE WITH
ELEGANCE
STRENGTH
BRAVERY

MY PARENTS
WERE JUST AS EXCITED
AS WE WERE
WILLING TO LET OUR IMAGINATIONS FLY
WANTING TO JOIN THE CIRCUS

WHEN IT WAS OVER
WE TOOK THE TROLLEY HOME
EACH PARENT WITH TWO CHILDREN
ASLEEP
AND LEANING AGAINST THEM
THEIR ARMS WRAPPED AROUND THEM
RICH IN WONDER
SAFE IN THEIR ARMS
AS THEY TRIED
TO MAKE A BETTER WORLD FOR US


FRANK A VOLLMER