Constantly Risking Absurdity by Lawrence Ferlinghetti Constantly risking absurdity1 and death whenever he performs above the heads of his audience the poet like an acrobat climbs on rime2 to a high wire of his own making and balancing on eyebeams above a sea of faces paces his way to the other side of day performing entrechats3 and sleight-of-foot tricks and other high theatrics and all without mistaking anything for what it may not be For he's the super realist who must perforce4 perceive taut truth before the taking of each stance or step in his supposed advance toward that still higher perch where Beauty stands and waits with gravity to start her death-defying leap And he a little charleychaplin5 man who may or may not catch her fair eternal form spreadeagled in the empty air of existence

Constantly taking the risk of looking silly and even dying whenever he performs above the heads of his audience The poet, like an acrobat climbs on rhymes to a high wire he makes himself and balances on the audience's eyes above a sea of faces walks his way to the other side of the day performing jumps and foot tricks and other dramatic acts and all without mistaking anything for what it might not be For he is the super realist who must necessarily see the tight truth before taking each step in his supposed progress toward that even higher place where Beauty stands and waits with seriousness to start her daring leap And he a little Charlie Chaplin-like man who may or may not catch her beautiful eternal form spread out in the empty air of being