scenes from a vinyl recliner

high on a wire

poised for an imminent fall

clowns always smile

greasepaint and lust in their pores

start to sway and i hold your hand

fall

the smile surrounds his head

hot ashes

clay

hot ashes fade

to lean

to err

too far along for me

to wait around

to smile is to accept

in center ring

rolling in sawdust and hay

covered in paint

damn everything but the circus

damn the men and the women who stare

at the freaks in the cages and snares

hot ashes

clay

hot ashes fade

to win

to err

to fall too far for safety

to lean

to wait a while is too easy

to lean towards

to fall too far for me

to wait a while around is too easy

to lean too long

to fall too far for safety

to seem to smile

to lie is to accept