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 tonque 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'm a TV" "Making bandsmen go clockwork" "See the slinky seal cirkus policeman" "Bareback ladies have fish" Strongmen by his feet, plate-spinning statesman Accrobatically 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, ringmaster shouted "All the fun of the cirkus!"