America, the Circus

America, the Circus

The circus masters release the red beast, 

its mane flowing, great fangs bared, 

ready to take a bite out of the audience, 

who convinced them to let it out of its cage 

and cheer as it tears the circus “freaks” apart. 

 

The ones they call freaks are ripped from their tent, 

blood now dripping from their bones, 

left behind by the ones who said they’d protect them, 

now thrown aside, tattered, by the vicious beast, 

and now the audience cheers even louder. 

 

Their corpses are thrown onto a great pyre 

and the smell of burning flesh 

fills the air, the stench riling up the crowd yet more, 

while the innocents in the audience 

begin to scream as they are dragged to the fire, too. 

 

Let their cries for help be answered in force. 

Let the “freaks” from their title divorce. 

Let the ringmasters dismount from their high horse. 

 

Let the circus end. 

Sarah Declan

BC

18 years old

ender

VT

18 years old

The Voice

December 2024

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