Circus Freak

Bending, twisting, free-flowing,

trusting, angelic, self-controlled, open-minded:

these are key qualities

that show in a good circus freak.

I was one by the age of eight.

Stilts: metal rods separating my eight year old self from the floor.

The same rods I fell in love with

as I performed my first circus act

and made my parents proud.

Doubles trapeze: one static, hanging bar + two people = a trust exercise.

An act where balance, faith, and harmony

thrived between

me and my partner.

Straps: two black straps separately looped across the ceiling,

waiting for an artist to grasp them as his/her own.

That artist was me.

Just me and the straps- a form of minimalism

I'd never thought I'd appreciate and experience.

Cloud swing: a rope whose ends are strung into the ceiing,

creating a giant "U" shape in the air.

This was my finale as a circus freak.

Even though the harness wrapped around my small frame,

it barely contained the power I exuded while performing.

My body soared.

Circuses may be full of "freaks"-

I respect them because I was one of them.

My trainers gave this freak a chance,

and I took it and flew,