Circus of Gladiators

The Mask and The Watcher

By Felicia Liwosz

The mask slowly slips as they lose their grip

Nobody at the helm

In too deep, they're playing for keeps

As they gamble with the realm

For now more than ever

You don't have to be clever

To see that this world is a stage

As the curtains pull back in this final act

The lock unclicks on the cage

As you ponder the cause, please hold your applause

Until the very end of the show

Sit back and relax, hold on to your hats

And allow the tension to grow

On the edge of your seat

You watch feat after feat

Nothing they're unwilling to do

To make you believe the act they conceive is actually the truth

They feed off your faith

Seeping into your mind

Clouding your heart

And chilling your spine

Collectively you laugh

You scream

You cry

You can't believe your ears

You can't believe your eyes

Lost in the dance

Caught up in the story

Watching in horror as they all fight for glory

Yet some of the watchers wake up from their dream

Remember that things are not what they seem

Stirring, perplexed, they stretch and they yawn

Realizing slowly how long they've been gone

As they peer at the stage with unclouded eyes

How simple it is to spot the disguise

How clearly they see now that they have awoke

Noting the costume and catching the joke

With rapid approach comes the end of the show

The stirring crowd prepares to go

The performers panic, sensing the crowd

Knowing that some have detected the shroud

So they ramp it all up, pouring it in

We have to believe, if they are to win

Desperate plea in their action

They don't want us to go

When our seats are all empty

They'll have nothing to show

Stand up and see what things really are

Before this drama has been taken too far

Beware of the act and the power it holds

Don't blindly accept what we've all been told

Allow your heart to be open and your mind to explore

For when we all wake up

The mask falls to the floor