artwork: ralph murre
WHY I
GAVE UP WRITING
AND
JOINED THE CIRCUS
by
Charles P. Ries
I
left it all; the paper and pens, publishers
and
agents who could not love my inner
fantasy
and joined the circus.
The
make-up, big nose and fancy pants
helped
me overcome my feelings of
obscurity.
I created an identity grander
than
my literary art. I now have something
worth
writing about.
I
married the fat lady, she gave birth to
a
midget; I learned to swallow swords,
made
friends with a contortionist who
told
me to turn my pens into pretzels,
and
live like a real man.
~
first published in Rosebud
