PoetrySlamsAreFreakShows

Come one come all!
Step right up!
Marvel at the human oddities.
Come see these freaks of nature.
It will be the greatest show on Earth!
Don’t miss out!

ARE YOU READY!?

I’m here.
With all the confidence of the offspring
Of the bearded lady and the elephant man.
I’m putting all of my mistakes on display for you.

So do you like what you see?

Looking for strokes in my scars
Like God applied pain with a paint brush
And the stitches are tattooed into my flesh
From every time I’ve tried to put myself back together.
And if feels like I’ve done it wrong this time…
My insides are contortionists
Trying to juggle my secrets with my conscience.
Wishing for a samurai’s suicide
So I can spill my guts to you with honour.
But this is not a battlefield.
This is a freak show.

So you just sit there and watch me burn
In the heat of memories and honesty
Under the weight of your gaze
I’m just here for your enjoyment.

Do you like what you hear?

The ventriloquist poet on stage
Afraid of commitment so there’s no strings attached.
But don’t get too close
Or you’ll find out he’s human.

We are praised for being broken.
Raised by experience to breathe fire on stage
Never realizing that gasoline burns
And my words are carving grooves into my windpipe
Like I’m learning to swallow swords in reverse.

I grew hearts on my sleeves
Because the one in my chest always seems to get broken..
I’m conjoined to my past
And nightmares always creep into my bed of nails.
My closet is a graveyard for human skeletons
And I’m afraid that they’ll drag me in
Every time I try to change.

I bear my flaws for your entertainment.
So I can’t stop pretending
Can’t stop acting
Can’t stop dancing
Or you’ll find out that I’m not really alright.

But the show has to go on.
You paid the door charge
And you came here to see a show.
So here I am.