Three Ring Madness Retired
by Odin Roark

Many said we shouldn't,
but many did.
Countless watched with glee,
some wrinkled their brow
Hordes clapped their hands,
a few covered their eyes,
ears,
and conscience.

How insufferable it must have been,
this barrenness of elephant chi,
void of compassion's generosity,
needs of their hearts imprisoned.

This was man’s cultivation
rendering soul's irrigation so natural,
at times appearing so empty of tears.

Once…

We peered down from seats on high,
cheering three rings of twisted principles,
compliant hands prodded and hooked innocence,
as languid eyes of heritage lost,
as intelligence exploited,
broke their spirits,
and left but swaying heads and trunks,
like a metronome winding down.

Finally…

Slowly reminding all,
time was running out,
life’s essence continued to pump,
only to reach sad eyes where
tears were rendered dry.

When bull hooks no longer mattered,
when creature respect was finally realized,
when trainers’ iron talons
ceased to be their only feeling,
enough of us recognized
how misunderstood and habitualized
these giants of intellect had become,
making it no longer possible for ticket holders to hail Caesar.

The new sadness?

Persistence succeeded in retiring
the elephant three ring madness,
only to find the human counterpart continuing its cruelty,
needing to control, dominate and terrorize a much larger big top...

The world.