I was 9. The circus was coming that summer.
It promised to bring life to the cornfields.
4th of July. Circus matinee and evening
fireworks!Daddy had it all planned out.
Mama smelled pretty. Papa looked fancy.
I wore my favorite white church dress.
We were in the biggest tent I ever saw
with people everywhere. Louder than
anything I ever heard. I never felt like
this. So much energy in so much space
and my skin was electric, my eyes wide
with the wonder of it all. Magical.
It really was the Greatest Show on Earth!
Girls swinging on trapeze and men balanced
100 feet above us on a wire. Elephants huge
powerful beasts tame as puppies on the farm.
Clowns silly and mute and lovely made us laugh.
It was heaven. We were suspended in a moment.
I smelled smoke. I saw smoke and fire and panic.
8000 people wanted out now. I wanted to see the
fireworks in the dark. So many died. Animals died.
Mama and Daddy died. They smelled like cooked meat.
I died from smoke. I was found perfect in my dress.
I'm unknown. I'm called body #1565. I love the circus.