Cirkus (Including 'Entry Of The Chameleons')

Night: her sable dome scattered with diamonds, Fused my dust from a light year, Squeezed me to her breast, sowed me with carbon, Strung my warp across time Gave me each a horse, sunrise and graveyard, Told me only I was her; Bid me face the east closed me in questions Built the sky for my dawn . . . Cleaned my feet of mud, followed the empty Zebra ride to the Cirkus, Past a painted cage, spoke to the paybox Glove which wrote on my tongue- Pushed me down a slide to the arena, Megaphonium fanfare. In his cloak of words strode the ringmaster Bid me join the parade . . . "Worship!" cried the clown, "I am a T.I. Making bandsmen go clockwork, See the slinky seal Cirkus policeman; Bareback ladies have fish." Strongmen by his feet, plate-spinning statesman, Acrobatically juggling- Bids his tamers go quiet the tumblers Lest the mirror stop turning . . . Elephants forgot, force-fed on stale chalk, Ate the floors of their cages. Strongmen lost their hair, paybox collapsed and Lions sharpened their teeth. Gloves raced round the ring, stallions stampeded Pandemonium seesaw . . . I ran for the door, ringmasters shouted, "All the fun of the Cirkus!"