Supporting Actor

On this stage,
This pantomime of a world,
In all its misplace levity,
The limelight never deigned to look at me,
I had no monologues and action scenes,
No share of the fame,
No fans of my own,
And no ovation to speak of,

I remain a supporting actor,
An extra,
Still chained to the backstage,
My voice silenced with a “cut!”,
This is not the gripe it appears,
I’m content in the limelight,
Perhaps that’s my place,
My mark on the stage floor,

But I wonder at least,
Could my message be mentioned in passing?
A footnote in the plays review,
Or am I just to elevate another?
To be behind the curtain,
To keep in mind,
There will always be a bigger star,
A louder tongue.

The Circus

Did you see the latest circus?
That royal death,
Or that famous marriage,
Or some such elite scandal,
Oh they had money,
So you must have,

The elite are putting on a show,
The circus is in town,
On the screen and radio,

The interviewers dive between bodies,
Like stuntmen on a tightrope,
Do you see those paparazzi on the trapeze,
Trying to get a good shot of our stars?
The crowds baying in sycophantic fervour,
They’re looked down on like a travelling freakshow,

The serfs always need to see their betters,
The circus is in town,
On the screen and radio,

These clowns on the red carpet,
In gaudy suits and frumpy dresses,
Blockaded by hi-vis knights,
They’re not really too funny,
Selfies are hardly comedy,
But the media eats it up,

You see,
Celebrity is the greatest pageant,
The circus is in town,
On the screen and radio.

Thunder Play

A thunderstorm is a play,
Did you know that?
Those bolts of plasma that soar earthbound,
They’re actors to be perceived,
This storms dramatis personae,

The lights in the sky,
And encroaching rumbles,
They signal the curtains resonant opening,
To an applause from the very clouds,
A million little diamonds rushing down,

The bolts immediately commence their dance,
Spiralling and arcing and coalescing downwards,
Lighting up even the darkest night,
Mother Nature sends these dramas to us,
As equal parts frolic and show of force.

Drama

Some people never leave drama lessons,
Their dramatic exultations are not limited to class,
Social life is also a play,
A tall tale to which they are dramatis personae,
An endless supply of attention,
Teenage mindsets abound,

A rumour here,
A silver tongue there,
Crocodile tears over yonder,
Perhaps lips touching,
And the stage is set,
For this manufactured performance,

You see these people wish to be eyesores,
The centre of everyone’s gaze,
To be fawned over by all who will,
Lauded onwards by fellow prom kings and queens,
Plastic performers,
Confirmed in their own indignity,

It is like a drug to the vein,
These consistent victims play their starring role,
Uncaring for those they step on,
As long as the audience attends,
Any audience,
The curtains never draw close.