Flying Circus

Alexey Goral, Creative Commons via Wikimedia Commons

Step right up! Take a peek!

Spy the Striking Circus Fly!

Above the crowd she spins, she streaks.

There isn’t a ring she won’t fly.

With daring feet, she cruises your cheek,

Gathering crumbs before they fly.

No matter how well your swatter sneaks,

No act can beat the Circus Fly! 


© 2012 Elizabeth Ehrenfest Steinglass, all rights reserved


Today’s poem was inspired by Laura Purdie Salas’ 15 words-or-less photo of two fencers who looked to me like flies. http://laurasalas.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/fencin/ I then took up Miss Rumphius’ challenge to write a kyrielle, a set of couplets that end with the same word.    http://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2012/05/monday-poetry-stretch-kyrielle.html
So there you have it–a kyrielle about a fly. Thank you to both Laura and Miss Rumphius for putting out their weekly inspirational challenges.

15 replies
  1. Robyn Hood Black
    Robyn Hood Black says:

    Who would have thought of a fly as a circus act? You! Great job, Liz – such a fun poem, and you met two challenges in one. Love the way we’re immediately “in” the poem with that first stanza (and you snuck in so many long “i’s” in so few words).

  2. violet
    violet says:

    I love how poems come together from bit and pieces of inspiration! (And I’m sure when the flies are performing around me this summer, I’ll view them with more appreciation than usual because of your delightful poem.)

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