she seems
suspended
in that
eye roll
constant displeasure
beknowst to audiences near and far and wide and real
her disappointment in the world on repeat
her disappointment in the world
her disappointment
disappoints.
every sugared onlooker a nuisance
every strewn flower unsatisfactory

oh the suffering!

a martyr announcing her martyrdom
her ambivalent expectations balloon
within the void within herself
not living up
to…what
?
she doesn’t know.
so lacking in self awareness
the queen of looking in all the wrong places
she doesn’t even know
to look for
herself.

she has the power to become powerful
but bows out.
of stretching in the wings
the thrill of the stage.
does she even know?
imperfectly executing royal victim
rather than performing the much anticipated
cannonball trick
flourish
or
fail
flourish or fail

she is
suspended
in that state
of imbalance and fright
morphing
into something
sharp.
the crowd can’t bear to watch
this variety of
circus act