Under The Big Top

• Roland Trevor Ball, Grade 6
• Poetry
• 2007

One beautiful sunny day, coming down the street of Anzac Avenue was the CIRCUS. There were Clowns in suspenders wearing spotted bows. Followed close behind by ferocious Lions and Tigers, tumbling Acrobats and daring Trapeze Artists.
So there was Jamie Darris dressed in his green shirt and long green pants standing at the school gate, watching with his class mates as the parade wound down Anzac Avenue, all the way to the Redcliffe Show Grounds.
Jamie’s one wish was to go to the circus. So that afternoon when the school bell rang, he ran like lightning all the way home to ask his parents if he could go to the circus with his friends. His parents said, “sure no problem.”
Sunday night came and Jamie along with his two friends Sam and Amanda, sat ring side waiting with anticipation for the show to begin. Out came the Ringmaster and announced that the show was about to begin.
The first act was the Lions and Tigers. The Lion Tamer cracked his whip and made the tigers jump through flaming hoops. He was also brave enough that he could stick his head inside the Lion’s mouth. The Lions and Tigers roared so loud, that they gave Jamie, Sam and Amanda a huge fright.
The second act was the Acrobats. They flipped over and under each other. They somersaulted high in the air. They tumbled in and out of each others legs. They finished with a pyramid of people, that was stacked high enough that they could almost touch the roof of the Big Top Tent.
The third act was the Trapeze Artists. They were famous for walking on the big wire. They were famous because they didn’t need to use a net. They managed not to fall off. They swung through the air, catching each other as they flipped. They more they flipped the more daring they looked. To the three friends, they looked like monkeys swinging on a vine.
The last act was the hilarious red nosed clowns. They stumbled and bumbled all around the ring. Riding unicycles, was their special trick. They could even juggle seven balls each as they rode around. They were the funniest clowns we had ever seen. We laughed out loud, when they slipped on a banana peel.
Now it was time to go home. On the way home the three friends, shared what seemed to be the world’s largest bag of purple fairy floss.
The next day Jamie couldn’t wait to go school. He wanted to tell his class mates all about the circus. He told them about his favourite act of all. His favourite act was the clowns slipping on a banana peel because this made him laugh. He told his class mates that when he grows up, he wants to join the circus to become the Funniest, most Famous Clown of all time.