Stephen D. Germain
Street Side Circus At My House
Welcome one, welcome all, to the street side circus at this fine entertainment establishment! Please find your seats quietly as this daring mouse bravely walks across a line hoping to reach his companions on the other side! A large man stands curbside at the foot of my driveway ranting these words to anyone who may pass by.
I am forced to ask myself, is this mans ranting a symptom of his organic brain dementia, or is it simply a side effect of the medications prescribed to control the slow, steady collapse of his brainstem? Regardless, his caretaker will call for assistance in the form of city police officers soon enough. The same routine as last Wednesday, and much like last week I am forced to ponder the lack of individual attention that would result in allowing this man the freedom to so much as walk from his front door unaccompanied by a professional.
Wide-eyed he continues to rant while dragging his left arm from right to left as though he is addressing a large audience. Saying in a bold, sharp tone, up next will be the lions, a flaming hoop and danger no-one should be expected to view alone! For safeties sake bring a friend!
This has become so dreadfully routine, that even the quiet middle class suburbanites dont hear him anymore. They go on to feed their pets, check their mailboxes and passively address their disappointments in regards to their childrens grades.
This man stands outside my house and if you asked him he would declare that he represents a host of countless wonders. If you asked my neighbors he doesnt exist.
To me, he is very much there and he is the reason I am finding it hard to focus on my writing assignment.
After another ten minutes of yelling and shouting the police arrive with an EMS unit following closely behind. They approach my driveway not noticing the man standing on the curb. A police officer approaches my door with a very dry un-amused look on his face. He finds me standing in the open doorway waiting very impatiently to report the disturbance that marks my every Wednesday.
As I am about to open my mouth and begin to tell him what I witnessed he grabs me by my left arm and spins me around forcefully where he continues to handcuff me. As I begin to explain to him that it is not me that he is looking for, but a mentally ill neighbor, the EMT stabs me in the left shoulder with a needle.
As everything fades to black I hear the officer saying, you really need to stop causing a scene every week in front of your neighbors house.
Now I rise each morning to over hear the night attendant updating the doctor on my recovery. She either says something like; he was unusually quiet all night, or he had another one of his screaming episodes, culminating into his ranting about a circus, and a death defying mouse. In time even the scent of her presence is enough to wake the animals.
To this day from this otherwise silent padded room I can still hear the lions roar.
Street Side Circus At My House
Welcome one, welcome all, to the street side circus at this fine entertainment establishment! Please find your seats quietly as this daring mouse bravely walks across a line hoping to reach his companions on the other side! A large man stands curbside at the foot of my driveway ranting these words to anyone who may pass by.
I am forced to ask myself, is this mans ranting a symptom of his organic brain dementia, or is it simply a side effect of the medications prescribed to control the slow, steady collapse of his brainstem? Regardless, his caretaker will call for assistance in the form of city police officers soon enough. The same routine as last Wednesday, and much like last week I am forced to ponder the lack of individual attention that would result in allowing this man the freedom to so much as walk from his front door unaccompanied by a professional.
Wide-eyed he continues to rant while dragging his left arm from right to left as though he is addressing a large audience. Saying in a bold, sharp tone, up next will be the lions, a flaming hoop and danger no-one should be expected to view alone! For safeties sake bring a friend!
This has become so dreadfully routine, that even the quiet middle class suburbanites dont hear him anymore. They go on to feed their pets, check their mailboxes and passively address their disappointments in regards to their childrens grades.
This man stands outside my house and if you asked him he would declare that he represents a host of countless wonders. If you asked my neighbors he doesnt exist.
To me, he is very much there and he is the reason I am finding it hard to focus on my writing assignment.
After another ten minutes of yelling and shouting the police arrive with an EMS unit following closely behind. They approach my driveway not noticing the man standing on the curb. A police officer approaches my door with a very dry un-amused look on his face. He finds me standing in the open doorway waiting very impatiently to report the disturbance that marks my every Wednesday.
As I am about to open my mouth and begin to tell him what I witnessed he grabs me by my left arm and spins me around forcefully where he continues to handcuff me. As I begin to explain to him that it is not me that he is looking for, but a mentally ill neighbor, the EMT stabs me in the left shoulder with a needle.
As everything fades to black I hear the officer saying, you really need to stop causing a scene every week in front of your neighbors house.
Now I rise each morning to over hear the night attendant updating the doctor on my recovery. She either says something like; he was unusually quiet all night, or he had another one of his screaming episodes, culminating into his ranting about a circus, and a death defying mouse. In time even the scent of her presence is enough to wake the animals.
To this day from this otherwise silent padded room I can still hear the lions roar.