The Day The Circus Came

The Day The Circus Came

it was the day the circus
came to town parading down
the main street and all
of the people turned out
to see the colorful signs
and the gaily dressed folk
the clowns out front playing
their comedy exciting the
little children up and down
the two lane road that
was the only real street
in the small western town
the ringmaster in his tall hat
with a loud horn speaking
"come one come all
tonight to the circus
see the amazing strong man
bend iron bars with his hands
and see the fat lady singing
her opera trained voice is amazing
and the clowns will be there too"
up and down the street the people
cheer and clap their hands
for seldom did anything happen
in this little western town
just dry days full of hard work
with very little money floating
among the people here just living
so the circus offered a little bit
of fun and flash real excitement
and that night they all turned out
once the tents were erected
and the big top with it's center ring
was lit up and the trapeze assembled
everyone marched in to see the show
first the clowns came out with
their funny routines bouncing around
acting as if they were all mad at
the smallest one there among them
chasing him around and around
until his sad tragedy over whelmed them
and they began to cheer him up as he
turns to the crowd and winks his sly wink
letting them know he was not sad at all
and after the crowd cheers loudly
the trapeze begin their daredevil act
women in short and shiny dresses
legs showing from their ankles to their hips
men catching them as they swing on high
such a wonderful sight so new and lovely
they making it all look so easy
but then they finish and the ringmaster
calls for all to watch as the human cannonball
is hurled across the big top into a waiting net
with flash and fire and smoke there he goes
flying across the tent and safely into the net
the crowd gasps and then claps with joy
but somewhere behind the scenes
a clown throws down a cigar discarded
too near the tents flap hanging loose
a bit of carelessness sends flame up
and over across the top of the tent
the people soon panic at the sight
and crowd themselves like sardines
held tightly in a sealed can
very few that night were able to get out
as the flames raged down the other side
and the tent that famous big top
collapses down upon the towns folk
death claimed the happy people
for a escape from their hard lives
they came to the circus to see fun
and paid with their lives given up
to the mad carelessness of a clown
and a simple cigar thrown down
the next day the circus packs up
what there is left to pack away
the town is a dead thing now
for most perished in the fire
a small western town thriving once
now in one night's time dead
a ghost town only as the circus
leaves town going somewhere
farther down the road