Lyrics & Writing

“The Juggler”

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Note the number of strong beats in each line — they reflect the number of balls the juggler is juggling in each verse...
Prosidically, one beat is added to each verse as balls are added to the poem.
(The strong beats of the first line of each verse are underlined.)

The Juggler

Poem by Matheson Bayley, 2003

1 Ball…

A toss to the sky
	Get ready…
			Then back from up high
His head, he
		uses
Butts
	Not bruises
			Bounce!
(That counts!)
Then… 		p  o   u    n     c       e        !

2 Balls…

He takes one more from the floor
			His weight
					is
						tip-
							ping

Then flick! — Which trick is in store?

                         p
                   i           s
            l                       !
He    f
— no slipping over
				’Round
    And	feet
		on
		the
		ground

Catch, game, set, match!

3 Balls…

Up one, up two, up three in the air
And criss and cross and spiral
’Round and up and down everywhere
The ground, rebound, on fire, alive!
Pizzazz
All jive and jazz
The will, the skill, the thrill, no spill — — — then still.

4 Balls…

A swing, a fling, a curve — the swerve wasn’t planned
A red, a green, a blue, a yellow
A circle high and wide
Then two in each hand
Adept and deft this daring fellow
Back and forth
The third the fourth
The gall to haul them tall — a ball may fall, that’s all!

5 Balls…

For many years he strained and trained though quite unaware
Five balls he juggles now with no collisions
Amibition, life, a job, a wife, a secret affair
His heart says this, his head says that: decisions!
Wear no frown!
But be no clown!
No fumbling and bumbling or mumbling and grumbling
And don’t stumble
Or you’re rumbled
And they may come tumbling down!

Matheson Bayley © 2003
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