Spinal Fire Scientia Est Potentia

This poem was published in a national anthology and in several local publications. It's one of my best.

Circus Stars

Do you remember the marionettes at the circus?
How they plied their trade next to the popcorn booth
So the gentle breezes would spread the scent of buttered heaven,
Drawing people in from all around?

The puppet, with a twitch of an arm
A kick of a leg,
Could make us laugh hysterically
Or bitterly weep, at his whim.

And do you remember the day the strings broke?
How the puppet laid on the ground, motionless,
And how we stood watching, slackjawed, still,
Until the puppet master retied his strings?

“Just a foul-up,” He said with a smile,
Calmly attaching the cords to his minion,
To the arms, legs, head, and mouth
So we could clap when the master kicked and laugh
At his little song and dance.

John Kedrowski