Friday, December 21, 2007

Quote:John Ashberry Poem:The Flying…

John Ashberry “But when you do really need to know the essential nature of a thing. . . you'll be glad you / wasted so much time in youth jotting down seemingly unrelated random characteristics of things, / rested your elbows at the windowsill looking out over everything that was going to be night.”



The Flying…

My family was the Flying Willenda’s
Of the ground.
Watching another immigrant family balance
On a tightrope of survival
Holding each other in anticipation.

Asending to do such feats
Always seemed like over
The top. My family
Hid in plain sight
Or took a falling via open
Fist or verbal assault
From our ringmaster.
There were no tented audiences
To ooh and awe,
Just the familial that knew
Their situation of disappear
Or bow silently.

One thing lacking
By Wallenda senior
Was a circus whip- dad
Had an oak stick
For Christ sake.

No comments: