"Life" is not a given

If the warmth of yesterdays sun was the last you'd ever feel
and the laughter of that small child was the last you'd hear
would you not have savored them more than you did?
.

If those Tulips from last spring were the last you'd ever see
and the last kiss you had was indeed your last kiss
would it not have been wise to ditch the blase indifference?
.

Each day, each taste, each emotion could be our last
and we sometimes act as if life will never run out;
as if the parade will never end until we are ready.
.

Life rarely runs like the classic movie we've seen over and over
where the beginning, middle and end are known but
more like a first run mystery that keeps us on the edge of our seats.
.

With twists and turns that sometimes haunt us yet
we can not allow these snags to dictate how we live today
because today may be all that's left; the finale unbeknownst to us
.

So we must laugh harder, smile wider and dance longer
and learn that there can be beauty and love in every body and thing
despite the fact that they too will die alongside of us sometime.

Step Right Up!

Papa swore the pin head boy
was natures own reject

Mama claimed the bearded gal
was famed by mere neglect

.

Grandpa said the giant man
was purely statuesque
Grandma squealed the midget horse
was horribly grotesque

.

The turtle man an amputee
was surely out of place
On his cart with metal wheels
and pulled by a shoelace

........

The chemistry of the whole cast

was aided by the tent
Their faces had the creases of
those who feigned torment

.

The conjoined twins used as the hook
were often misconstrued
As two young girls who did not hide
a tryst, an interlude

.

No matter what the patrons screamed
the players they did know
This was their way to pay the rent
star in their own side show