A Glimpse at my Circus

Udit Bhatia invented cascade poetry in 2007. This relatively new style of poetry got its name because it should flow down the page in a waterfall effect. The poem’s structure is simple and relies on the refrain to create the cascading rhythm. The magic of these poems centers around the refrain. The unmetered poems vary in theme depending on the poet’s desire. The only rule used when writing a cascade is that all the lines in the first paragraph are repeated at the ends of every stanza that follows. I will call this cascade poem A Glimpse at my Circus.

Structure of a cascade poem and A Glimpse at my Circus

The first stanza has three lines.

  1. The lines are represented as ABC.
  2. The first line ends with line A.
  3. The second line ends with Line B.
  4. The third line ends with line C.

I had written this form of poetry before and had fun with it. I plan to start the month of March using this style. The length of the stanza can vary. There is no rule about sticking to three lines. The thing to remember is that the longer the stanza, the more complicated the poem.

A Glimpse at my Circus

Things are complicated in times like these.
There is nowhere to run from this circus
And the clowns have taken over the show
The elephants have learned to dance
The two-step across the gymnasium floor
I Need Cool Jazz on a Monday

There is a need for a warm steady breeze
To warm a lion’s cold and bloody heart
The bearded lady would like to know
Why things spun so out of control when
All she wanted from the gig was a little romance
 Things are complicated in times like these.

The ringmaster is making such a fuss
Because the trapeze artist wants a raise
And there isn’t money coming in at the door
For the clumsy act to thrive and grow
The monkeys want to run free range
The clowns have taken over the show
I don’t think there will be a second chance
For me to make my timely escape
The fat lady wants to wear a giant pink bow
To accentuate her enormous derriere
I don’t want to work here anymore.
The elephants have learned to dance.

The lion tamer hasn’t done much taming before
The sword swallower has sores in his mouth
Life in this circus seems so unfair
To a carney setting up the rides
The illustrated man decided to do
The two-step across the gymnasium floor

Some situations in life never pay,
No matter how clever you make the clown.
He can only juggle so many pins
Even if the fortune teller gives a hard stare.
There is only thing to ease the pain 
I Need Cool Jazz on a Monday.

Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.

Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!

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Published by henhouselady

I am the author of Saving the Hen House. I didn't know when I started it would turn into a series. I love to ride motorcycles, the blues, my family, and going on adventures. This old hen rocks.

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