Acrobat au Cirque du Soleil

I want to be a one-off,

my mould cut in two,

irreparable.

 

But I am one of many clones

and must dance, pirouette and back-flip

onto the pinnacle of a pyramid.

 

I smile and smile.

A star glints on a tooth

like an advert for fluoride.

 

I wave to the crowds below

then dive into the air

to be caught by a circle of hands.

 

They do not know I'm made of glass.

I'm surprised I do not break.

Inside my bell-jar a little girl is trapped.

 

 (Published in 'Glass Works' , Cat's Pyjamas Publications, 2005)