“The Circus,” by Albina Felski
blues with no bridges: burned middle
learning toxic lessons from the cradle
privileged take sun for granted on vacation
poor don’t notice it while scrambling to survive
privileged are blessed to have cozy nannies
poor learn a bottle soothes when it’s full
privileged own institutions that let them slide
poor, the face of crime, bludgeoned by laws
privileged don’t mourn for lack, they buy
poor mourn for losses via desperate acts
privileged and poor, each menaces to all
whose dreams destroy by different means
their vehicles of redemption just out of reach
that taunt and haunt them to the grave
Melissa is today’s host for dVerse’ Poetics Tuesday. Melissa says:
for today’s Poetics prompt, I’d like you to read the lyrics and listen to the song, “Folsom Prison Blues,” by Johnny Cash; then write a poem about whatever it evokes for you. You may write in any form, but I’d like you to keep your poem to twenty lines or less.
Tao Talk 
I like the way you used contrast between privileged and poor to build this poem, Lisa, and the way it begins with the alliterative ‘blues with no bridges’. These lines sum it up nicely:
‘privileged take sun for granted on vacation
poor don’t notice it while scrambling to survive’.
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Kim thanks much for the feedback.
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You’re welcome. Lisa.
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Oh, the poor, poor privileged…
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I wonder if Nero was weeping as he fiddled while Rome burned…
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That is so good Li :-) Those last lines, excellent! <3
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CA, thanks much <3
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It was ever so…I wonder if we can ever find a better way. (K)
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Johnny knew, and he was fearless in their faces. I hope we can, because this way is wearing me down. I’m reading a book right now about a woman who lived during the time when Mao came into power in China, and the similarities in that transition and what we’re seeing right now here are chilling.
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I fear it’s going to explode.
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Which book are you reading Lisa? I read many such books when I first got interested in China.
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_Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir_, by Tess Hulls. I’ve read a few since getting interested in philosophical daoism also.
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Oh that looks interesting – I will search it out. Many of those type of books show the great strength and fortitude of people and at first, I couldn’t rationalise how the Chinese still loved and revered Mao and the revolution.
But the further I investigated I began to understand more about putting the community above the individual. It’s still hard for someone, such as myself, from an individualistic society to imagine that way of thinking. I believe this is also something ‘the West’ doesn’t quite get in general.
Eastern philosophies also point to strength and acceptance, something which Western philosophies used to too, and is seeing a small renaissance these days.
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I found it on a library search for new graphic novels. The format she uses is amazing. The general outline is that the granddaughter (the author) tells the story of her mother and grandmother getting out of China and coming to the US to escape the communists. She learns her grandma used to be a journalist and wrote a book about the takeover but has to get it translated in order to read it. Her grandmother was driven mad by the communist gestapo. I don’t think any of these 3 loved Mao or the revolution.
I’ve been a student of daoism since 1995, when I happened upon a small university listserv on it. Once I got hooked, I never considered letting go of it — for better or worse. It’s good at intricately rationalizing things into acceptability. Some might call it paralysis.
I hope you do find the book. If you do read it, maybe we can discuss it?
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Yes, those who left China were generally the ruling and landlord classes and the revolution was aimed at them so it’s understandable their dislike for Mao.
I think I can find the book somewhere online.
Another graphic novel you may enjoy is ‘A Chinese Life’ – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13588689-a-chinese-life
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I think her great grandpa was a landlord. Her grandpa was a Swiss guy that was stationed in China and got grandma pregnant and got reassigned.
Thanks for the book recommendation, Shaun. I just added it to my want to read on goodreads. My handle on there is Li Jade.
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I found that I already had a digital copy of this and started reading last night – only thirty pages in so far. I like the style so far. 👍
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Shaun, very fortuitous you have a digital copy of it. It is a work that takes time to go through. So much information. It feels like pieces of a very large puzzle that she has meticulously put together. I’m about halfway through. Also, I think her great grandfather was an intellectual, not a landlord. I think she said intellectuals were in a love-hate relationship with Mao’s regime, where he hated their free thought but recognized their value.
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Re: Feeding Ghosts.
I’m enjoying the journey of discovery and curious as to what is to come. I’m putting my thoughts in order as I read because I’m initially disappointed in the Chinese history timeline she produced as it is using Western misinformation in places. But I have to remember that that is all that she might know. So I’m curious if she discovers this for herself, or how her attitude might change through this journey.
The thoughts she has around her and her mum’s personalities is very interesting and I’m looking forward to reading the rest.
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Shaun, thank you for dropping in with your update on the book. From my understanding, grandma spoke no English, the journal was in some form of Chinese and had to be transcribed, and the mother was not a talkative sort, at least about their personal history, even though mother and daughter returning to Hong Kong (?) mainland (?) sorry forgot did trigger a lot of memories about that time. I don’t know if the book has a bibliography (didn’t look in the back) but if it does it might shed some light on her timeline.
Honestly, Shaun, I think the author has spent a lot of time alone with her thoughts, trying to make sense of it all. Without any soundboards, it has to be tough.
I’m also finding it interesting and looking forward to what else happens.
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I love your take on the prompt Li and the comparisons of poor and priviledge. These lines particularly stood out…privileged and poor, each menaces to all
whose dreams destroy by different means… very much so. Great poem Li. :)
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Di, thank you very much. <3
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What a thoughtful, profound poem, Lisa…those last four lines really pack a punch!
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Lynn, thank you. I get so tired of being part of a circus and wonder just which part of it I am day by day.
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A wonderfully reflective and insightful poem – Jae
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Jae thank you very much.
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Wow, Li! This is powerful. I also like how you contrast the two and bring them together. One no better than the other when left to their own devices.
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Melissa, thank you. And thanks for a good prompt <3
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Again, the music connection – in this case a Johnny Cash song I love – prompted me to read your poem – well done! :-)
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Christian, I’m glad I’m giving you reasons to read me ;) Thanks!
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:-)
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Fantastic the way you cobtrasted the privileged against the poor
Thanks for dropping by my blog, Lisa
🎇much love
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Gillena, thank you very much. It’s complicated and all knotted up but bits and pieces can be teased apart. You are very welcome <3
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This is such a touching poem Li. Well done my dear friend
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Sadje, thank you <3
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You’re most welcome
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I like that dimension of folsom prison blues… how large percentage of the population that is incarcenated has to be a failure (as it does not seem to decrease crime rate anyway)
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You’re right, punishment has not been found to deter crime. I’ve never read Tolstoy’s Crime and Punishment but I can certainly understand why it’s such a large book.
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Crime and Punishment is Dostoevsky and it’s worth a read but it is more a reflection on how crime itself can punish the mind.
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Oops on author. I knew it was one of those Russians with a long name ending in sky. I’ve put a lot of thought into these matters (crime, punishment, justice.) In the dao de jing it talks about the executioner hurting his hand, which I think is what you’re talking about.
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I think the following lines stand out….dream destroyers of a different kind
privileged and poor, each menaces to all
whose dreams destroy by different means
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Truedessa, thanks much for reading and your comment.
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A powerful piece. Research shows the highest percentage of those imprisoned are those who are not white, not privileged; cannot afford their own or a reputable lawyer, etc. You do the juxtapositioning very well here.
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Thank you, Lillian. Race and poverty walk hand in hand in America. Here’s a good site that backs up your statistic:
https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2023/09/27/updated_race_data/
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Still a nation stuck with slavery 😢
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You’re so right!
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Rosemary, thank you. I wish it wasn’t so.
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A great response to Melissa’s challenge, Lisa ~~ the juxtaposition between the privileged and the poor is brilliant.
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Helen, it’s brilliant because its true, brilliant like the flames of burning books :( Thank you very much.
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I love the contrast – sad, but true. Wonderful poem, Li
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Sara, thanks very much, yes it is quite a contrast.
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A great poem that speaks to truth to wealth and privilege Li.
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Paul, I tried. Thanks much.
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