Hah!

Oh, mercy
you cry, as you watch
frozen in place
as the balancing act continues
heart in your mouth
guts roiling
- in fact, most internal organs are displaced -
but you can't tear your eyes away
they're locked on, a laser beam
on his
impossibly high above you.

You're not an idiot
you're not going to mistake
this performance for any quantifiable skill
sure, there is pluck
drive
verve
a can-do attitude
but there's no real ability
the performer totters along
stumbles
rights himself somehow
by an unseen agent
a puppeteer pulling his strings
preserving his life
but he smiles and laughs as if the whole thing were a joke.

This isn't the end of the world
sure, he might fall and cave his skull in
his brain might burst
his nerve might fail
and he might plummet
but you'll watch until he finishes on the high-wire
or he falls
because there's really nothing else that he'll allow.

Dear god, is he impressive
but you wouldn't trade places with him for any money
nor he with you
that's his secret

Hah!