Shall I Compare our Marriage to a Circus
Ours is not a trapeze act —
me sailing through the air
hoping you’ll be there
(no net),
or a lion tamer/lion duo —
cage and whip vs. claws and fangs.
There’s no tight rope to traverse,
and Eng and Chang
need not apply.
(We like our space.)
But sometimes
there’s cotton candy,
and lots of clowning,
and occasionally
a contortionist act,
though not quite so often
after we turned 60.
– Sarah Russell
for dVerse “Via Negativa”
photo source
Sarah Russell Poetry 
This is wonderful! I especially got a kick out of:
“and occasionally
a contortionist act,
though not quite so often
after we turned 60.”
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Thanks, Jo. Yes, unfortunately arthritis provides some limitations!
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Brilliant, Sarah! Reminds me of Edna. Nice touch of humour. Very cool 🙂
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Hey thanks for coming by, Ryan.
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It’s always pleasant 🙂
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And thanks for the comparison to Edna. High praise!
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Very well done! Love the negative comparisons. …and the contortionist acts!!
Dwight
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Thanks a lot, Dwight. 🙂
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Oh, i love this! Smiling at the closing lines.
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Thanks, Sherry. I have to put off reading everyone’s until tomorrow. Trying to get through submissions for a writing group I’m in that starts at 9 in the morning… Stay tuned.
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I was grinning as soon as the circus picture came into view. This is LIFE!
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Yup, it sure is, Sara. I loved playing with the different acts to see which to keep. Thanks for reading!
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This is wonderful… love how the title also play with Shakespeare … shall I compare thee… which is also a kind of negation in my view.
Life can truly be a circus
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Thanks, Bjorn. It sort of titled itself, and I wondered why. You’ve cleared it up for me. Thanks again!
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It is probably a good thing marriage is not like a trapeze act. The clowning may be more fun.
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Absolutely the clowning is more fun. Thirty years together, and he can still make me giggle. Thanks for stopping by, Frank.
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Love this Sarah! Fun fact- my grandfather was a contortionist in Vaudeville. He was something.
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Thanks! I have an uncle who did vaudeville too. He could still do a back flip in his 70s.
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Wow! Cool.
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kaykuala
Eng and Chang
need not apply.
(We like our space.)
Love that you make a reference to the famous twins to indicate ‘space’ , Sarah!
Hank
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Ah, you recognized the reference, Hank. Do you think we have to be of a certain age to remember that?
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Love a circus, Sarah! You made me laugh at the contortionists 😀
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Thanks a lot, Lynn.
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Isn’t it a mark of a good marriage that it adapts to the life changes. In the later years, it may no longer have the excitement of the honeymoon stage, but it would have mellowed into something comfortable and deep. I look forward to the kind of life you described in the second half of your poem. 🙂
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That’s exactly right, Imelda. We’re great friends as well as husband and wife.
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That’s awesome. 🙂 I am reminded of my husband who kind of feels offended when I complain that I have no friends around because he always by my side. To him, it goes without saying that we should be each other’s (best)friend. And I think that couples being friends is a good idea because it enriches and strengthens the marriage.
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