Step Right Up Poem by Patti Masterman

The legerdemain of this place tricks you-
Nicks you- now they’re here-
Now they’re gone forever;
Those loved ones who went away
Without any goodbye, or a final word,
Or even one last look.
It cuts, chisels out the griefs
Right there on your face
For the whole world to see-
No modesty allowed, no sir-
The crowds want to see it all.
Step right up, the show’s right here;
The price of your life,
One solitary ticket, gets you a whole
Lifetime’s worth of the
Comedy of errors called living.
If only the hall of mirrors
Could show the future,
Then we’d have some warning
So to compose ourselves,
For the cameras; but no-
Surprise! You’re the freak at
This show, the main attraction oddity,
The headless, spineless, juggling- wonder:
The one afraid to own his own heart.
Nobody laughs at you because
After all, it’s the same for everyone down here;
Just busy having the time of our lives.