Sideshow

When there was nothing

I moved in with the fire-eaters

stumbled the stratosphere in

their indigo star bus

2 shows a night; 3 on Sundays

6 minutes of heaven

in the back

for a little something extra

fed my lovers

molasses coffee

from a thimble

full of jewels

until the 1-eyed

man of swords cut

me in 12 and

I wasted a million

years in a dark well

collected heads up pennies

poured wine into

newspaper nightmares

tranced on tarot traumas

broke my heart on

potato chip postcards

feared frustrated fish

damned to dead dreams

only to find what was missing

under a pebble

in my shoe.

Annette Sugden ver. 3 May/2006