Robert Lax Poem

We talked about the fact...
by Robert Lax

We talked about the fact that
it wasn't the danger,
it wasn't the skill,
it wasn't the applause
that made the act what it was.
It was principally the grace;
the bringing into being,
for a moment,
the beautiful thing,
the somersault,
the leap,
the entrechat on horseback.
The skill,
of course, has something to do
with it. It is pleasant
to know you can do anything
so difficult. It is good when you
have mastered it, and you are
really in competition with yourself.

"When we make a mistake in
the ring we are very angry. The
audience doesn't know, but we
know."

But it is a pleasure
to do anything
so difficult
and do it
gracefully.

- Robert Lax from Circus Days & Nights © The Overlook Press.