Sunday night poety thread

[GAspnes]

i went to the circus once
as a child with my father
and we saw the boa constrictor
and the bears and lions
and i wanted to get upclose to
them, but Dad said, "don't touch, don't
get too close. they'll eat you if you get too close."
so i watched
the tigers and bears (and the
arielists and clowns and jugglers and
fire-eaters and horse-riders) all from
the fourteenth row, middle.

i went to the museum once,
as a child with my father
and we saw the jade vases,
and the stuffed koala, and the
African diamond, and the mummy
and Daddy said, "mustn't touch,
or the museum guard will put you
into a display case, with the snakes."
but i did so want to get close
and see if the stuffed koala was
really stuffed (he blinked at me, twice)
and if the African diamond was solid
or just air that glittered, and if
the mummy would turn to dust if
i touched him, but i had to go
to the museum in the fourteenth row.

so, with my father's tutelage
and from a fear of being eaten
or caged with snakes
i learned to admire those things i loved
from a distance, with a safe barrier
that would keep me from being injured.
it is the greatest pity in the world
that i never learned ( and was never taught )

to touch.