Upon the Stage the Distraction Goes On.

A ringmaster and his main attraction.

 

Upon the stage the distraction goes on...

 

“Ladies and Gentlemen, please if you would be so kind; just hold your questions until the show is finished. Everything will be revealed. And when will that be, you wonder? Ah, as do I, your humble ringmaster: Who has only just now found the essence of entertainment. How can one say how it will end? Are we not all awaiting this? As you can see we need our entertainment. Something. But for now keep your questions please, my lovely audience, admire our stage craft! All will be revealed. Above you and on all sides we have constructed rows of our finest weaving, with heavy curtains of imported fiber! And all that ends will be forgiven now! True entertainment upon our stage of forgein wood. True escape. Before us, as we all look upon the glorious main stage, may we direct our attention to the main attraction! Our own inherent abomination- THE CHILD OF ENOURMOUS FEAR.

Upon a loyal voyage through the impoverished realms of higher civilization, my crew and I discovered this creature lurking within a train chest. After attaining a locksmith and medicine man, I tell you my fine audience, we discovered a creature that grew in the cracks. Down instead of up. A weed that slew poison upon itself! A man not bearing the title. A loose and misbegotten tramp to be humiliated, to be humbled, to be martyred! Find a true definition of loathsome, my kind audience. Raise the curtain! Raise your hands and be amazed!

Can you not see his arms now? Twisted and frail. How strong he was once, my dear fellows, I tell you indeed he had great numbers of victims. All that rose against found themselves downed. Yet who can be smote by such frailty now? I ask you. Look upon his face, like one of true captivity, harnessed by some interior muzzle, the child has lost the ability to speak! His blank and loathsome eyes may suggest that to you. Yet believe me dear friends, the boy’s vocal cords do very much remain intact. Yet with such innumerable impressions upon himself he finds it impossible to speak. To even act! Imagine! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, laugh merrily and greedily at his stubbornness to overcome. Point blamefully upon his face and know true greatness of self! Do you see the chain about his wrists? Not by my making, no, not by me. Nor you, my caring audience. Consider the weight of each link and nail, for each line he has tagged to himself. He is paying a fine of endless expanse to his debtor, and I tell you honestly, I know not who the debtor is.  But consider your own weights, your own burdens, do you not see how free you are upon this one’s mind! You know of your obligation, your weight, yet his cross goes nameless. Why certainly we must seem like wild things, unmasked and starving, naked, to one so encased. Surrender to your joy my lovely audience. That’s right, laugh, laugh as you are—above such a creature and free!

The bible may have said to beware of judgment, yet I warn that without such an impression we might all fall victims to his plight. Such traps are nameless and present within us all. Yet to be snared by so many? Is that logical? Is that plausible? I dare say not, my friends. Only beware, and do so with your indignation. Burn your sneers upon his face so that it be known. You all are godlike to such fearful eyes. Why the creature has wet itself. How inhuman. Certainly when you spit on the virus it knows its place. We should not adopt his principles by acting civilly. Why dear audience, please do not hold back your streams of justice from the fool of darkness’s folly.

Ah see how he sees nothing. Why right there, sir, you in the front, you just righteously smote the boy with your spit, but did he move? He did not! Do your jeers phase him? Not in the least. Why sir, you should not be angry but be amused. The boy hurts himself more intensely then you could by even ending him. Is that possible you wonder? Trust me, it is sir. It is. Why there is nothing so painful that the boy can register, nor joy! Why in the beginning we attempted to humor him, to give him games, yet he does nothing for enjoyment… for he enjoys nothing! Find this difficult to fathom, mam? I see your face, but understand that the creature will not admit to sunlight, or to darkness, and scarcely lives at all!

Did you audience members recall the dangers of youth?—the exaltation, the declination, and the reclamations of loves and materials? Do they not inspire? Do they not feel greatness in life? Why this boy, he has gone without such things all along. And do remember your beliefs, for you will surely need them now, for in him there are none to look upon. And empty vessel that believes in all that doesn’t exist, and nothing in what is seen.  Can you not see the confusion in his demeanor? He believes we watch him always, even when he is alone. He believes his door cannot be closed. Why, the lights have him blinded when he can not achieve it himself—when his own blindness fails him. We assist him with his fears. We fill them and make them real once more. We can not deny him his life of chosen baseness. He cannot see above the floor, for the sky is too much for a frail thing to see. We must judge in this.

Why surely we have overcome.

Why surely we have become greater then this.

My audience,

Why surely we cannot comprehend such weakness.

No. Why have you all stopped laughing? Dear audience, why would we ever stop laughing?”

Reviews

[Jerrica Benton]

you tricked me with the byline of 'poem' into reading a story.

if nothing ends up working out in yr life, brendan, by all means throw it all away and join the circus.
you have mastered the art of the carnival barker.

[Juliette Cross]

One time i looked around me at the world like a freak show and they were all looking back around at me like a freak show! the world is fast on its feet and sometimes people get lost. we all belong to one another but no one wants to take responsibility and we lauuuuuuuuuuugh because we should be crying because, because we realize that we are not that fast either and we are lost. what can i say but you're good, and you know it. and and i enjoy reading you so very much. you do insane goooooooood. you always take me places and i love that!!!