A Circus in Time
Mum, “The big top is here, a three-ring circus hits town
Lions, tigers, apes and other trained animals, it’s here for six weeks.
Sideshows, freak shows, clowns between acts with dotted gowns
Musicians, magicians, acrobats and jugglers with spotty cheeks.”
The white-top’s up, we’re at The Greatest Show – it’s last moon
A circus is alive, festooned with shooting galleries, it’s intense.
Signs are all around, mystical and magical like a cartoon
Buggies drive, statues come alive, dancers jive in tents.
A swinger catches the rope with grace, without a care in air
Acrobats do fly tricks with elegance – seeming to be at ease.
One falls from grace to the trampoline, then bounces from despair
She’s the bee’s knees catching a bar with ease – a flying trapeze.
Fireworks pop, a whip-cracker cracks cracking black whips
A clown loses his pants when he hears a firecracker crack.
Now to the kiosk for fairyfloss, hotdogs, donuts and hot chips
A circus was here for a time, next day they start to pack.
Australian Children’s Poetry Website 
The circus came and the lion paced, the elephant swayed and I went home and cried The parrot squawked, the rhino balked and I went home and cried The mice squeaked, the parrot shrieked and I went home and cried The tiger stalked, the baboon talked and I went home and cried The clown stumbled and hurt his knees and we both sat down and cried. Meg Mackey Sent from my iPad
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Thanks Meg, I just spotted the comment flag now. Kate Poole gives a great insight into how to structure children’s poetry properly with an emotional end. Thank you.