Sunday 6 April 2025
Kreuzlingen, Canton Thurgau, Schweiz
“Damn everything but the circus!
The average ‘painter’ ‘sculptor’ ‘poet’ ‘composer’ ‘playwright’ is a person who cannot leap through a hoop from the back of a galloping horse, make people laugh with a clown’s mouth, orchestrate twenty lions.“
e.e. cummings
Above: American poet Edward Estlin Cummings (1894 – 1962)
Kreuzlingen is a municipality in the district of Kreuzlingen in the Canton of Thurgau in northeastern Switzerland.
It is the seat of the district and is the 2nd largest city of the Canton, after Frauenfeld, with a population of about 22,000.
Together with the adjoining city of Konstanz just across the border in Germany, Kreuzlingen is part of the largest conurbation on Lake Constance (Bodensee) with a population of almost 120,000.
The Lake lies like a mirror spread between nations, reflecting not only clouds and sails, but the quiet unity of cultures that have learned, over centuries, to coexist around its shores.
In Kreuzlingen, the Lake is not a postcard — it is a presence, a pulse, a poem.
Retaining traces of a small town structure, Kreuzlingen lies on hillsides once covered in vines, surrounded by forests on the hilltops to the south and, beyond them, predominantly rural areas.
The open wide Bodensee to the east, along with the artificial Wulesaueninsel (island of the Wulesauen River) and the areas around Seerhein and Untersee to the west.
To the north, the border with Germany runs through what is now a densely built-up area.
In the years before World War II, the southern border of the city was secured against attack from Germany with the Kreuzlingen Fortifications.
The area between the two cities was bisected by a border fence in 1942 (and until August 2006).
To the west, Kreuzlingen borders the Tägermoos and Tägerwilen.
To the east, the municipality of Bottighofen lies close to Kreuzlingen.
Kreuzlingen is an often-overlooked gem nestled right on the Swiss-German border, twinned with the more flamboyant Konstanz just across the way.
While it may not boast the same bustling tourist traffic as some Swiss hotspots, Kreuzlingen has its own quiet allure, especially for those seeking something a bit off the beaten path.
Kreuzlingen hugs the southern shore of the Bodensee, offering stunning lakeside walks, serene views, and opportunities for swimming, sailing, and cycling.
The promenade is particularly pleasant and connects seamlessly with Konstanz.
Above: Kreuzlingen
Seeburgpark is the largest public park on Lake Constance, with wide green spaces, sculptures, a small animal park and lakeside cafés.
In the shade of Seeburgpark’s trees, time slows.
Children’s laughter echoes from the mini-zoo, lovers linger by the water’s edge, and even the ducks seem unrushed.
Above: Seeburgpark, Kreuzlingen
The Seemuseum (Lake Museum) offers a deep dive into the lake’s natural history and human connection to it.
Inside the Seemuseum, one can trace the lake’s long memory — from prehistoric fishermen to modern ferries — like flipping through a family album of the deep.
Above: Seemuseum, Kreuzlingen
Kreuzlingen is almost a continuation of Konstanz — no passport checks, just a seamless stroll from one culture to another.
Visitors enjoy the contrast:
The Swiss calm of Kreuzlingen versus the livelier German vibe across the street.
To walk from Konstanz to Kreuzlingen is to slip across a border as seamlessly as thought becomes dream.
The bustle of the German town dissolves into Swiss composure, like a breath released after holding it too long.
Two towns, two temperaments — divided by history, united by water.
The former Augustinian monastery (now the Pädagogische Hochschule)(Kreuzlingen University of Education) and the Church of St. Ulrich reveal a rich ecclesiastical history, quieter and more contemplative than the grand cathedrals of larger cities.
Above: Pädagogische Hochschule, Kreuzlingen
Above: St. Ulrich Kirche, Kreuzlingen
There are still ten buildings in the municipality that are referred to as castles or fortresses.
Above: Schloss Ebersberg, Kreuzlingen
Above: Schloss Brunegg, Kreuzlingen
Above: Schloss Girsberg, Kreuzlingen
Above: Römerburg, Kreuzlingen
Above: Schloss Seeburg, Kreuzlingen
Above: Schloss Bernegg, Kreuzlingen
Above: Schloss Irsee, Kreuzlingen
Above: Schloss Rosenegg Museum, Kreuzlingen
Every summer, the Salsa Festival Bodensee takes place at the Dreispitz Sports and Cultural Center as an international dance festival with salsa, kizomba, bachata, hip-hop, tango and dance workshops.
Theatre performances take place irregularly at the Theater an der Grenze (Theatre at the Border).
Every year on the second weekend in August, the lakeside festival Fantastical with fireworks takes place together with the German city of Konstanz, attracting 50,000 visitors from the region (and far beyond).
Above: Fantastical, Kreuzlingen
In 2002, the Kreuzlingen Planetarium, Switzerland’s second planetarium, opened.
It was built directly next to the observatory above the city, which opened in 1976.
Above: Kreuzlingen Planetarium and Observatory
Two six-kilometer-long planetary paths end at the Planetarium.
The South Planetary Path leads from Siegershausen train station and the North Planetary Path from the Bodensee-Therme spa in Konstanz.
FC Kreuzlingen, founded in 1905, has played in the 5th highest football league, the 2. Liga interregional, since 2013.
The local Kreuzlingen Swimming Club (founded in 1926) offers swimming and water polo.
Since 1956, ice hockey has been available at EHC Kreuzlingen-Konstanz.
The EHC plays in the Bodensee Arena.
For the more active traveller, Kreuzlingen is a key stop along this famed cycling route that encircles the entire lake, passing through Switzerland, Germany and Austria.
For many visitors, just crossing into Switzerland means indulging in top tier chocolate and the subtler, more refined air of Swiss hospitality.
Kreuzlingen offers that Swiss experience without the Zürich price tag.
Kreuzlingen may never shout for attention, but it hums — a gentle, lakeside melody for those willing to lean in and listen.
It is a town that whispers rather than boasts, a companion for the contemplative traveller rather than the camera-chasing tourist.
There’s a subtle elegance in Kreuzlingen, the kind that doesn’t beg to be noticed.
The sidewalks are clean, the chocolate rich, the smiles reserved but sincere.
It is Switzerland in miniature:
Orderly, understated, and quietly proud of its place by the water.
Above: Kreuzlingen
Our wee village of Landschlacht lies only 15 kilometres to the east and thus receives the weekly free newspaper Kreuzlingen Nachtrichten.
Above: Landschlacht, Canton Thurgau, Schweiz
Thursday 27 March 2025
Kreuzlingen Nachtrichten
And then, as if summoned by some ancient magic, the circus arrives.
Bright tents rise like dreams on the town’s edge.
Kreuzlingen transforms.
For a brief afternoon, the timeless joy of tumbling acrobats and prancing horses erases the modern world.
Under the big top, we are all children again — wide-eyed, wonderstruck, and momentarily unburdened.
The Swiss National Circus (Circus Knie) is a nostalgic, elegant affair with deep cultural roots.
When it rolls into town, it turns a quiet Swiss place into a scene of wonder and childlike joy — something that has become rare in today’s entertainment landscape.
Innovative technological elements that elevate the circus performances to a new level ensure excitement.
550 colored light balls, Kinetic Balls, dance in the air and merge with the artistry.
The magnificent LED floor, unique worldwide for a travelling company, transforms the artists’ performances into a visual highlight.
For example, when the unicyclists from Japan conjure up their tricks on the animated floor or the Urban Crew transforms the tent into a party location with their dance moves.
Magical moments come with Vincent Vignaud, who disappears before the audience’s eyes and suddenly reappears in the middle of the stands.
Above: Vincent Vignaud, Circus Knie
In the afternoon, clown Chistirrin provides laughs.
“We are very pleased to be able to perform at Hafenplatz again after 2023,” says Doris Knie, Administrative Director.
“It is a special highlight for our artists to be able to live on beautiful Lake Constance for a short time.“
Above: Doris Knie
And so, on a soft April afternoon beneath a sky blue, I found myself spellbound in Kreuzlingen — not by monuments or museums, but by marvels that travel from town to town across the Swiss Confederation.
The Circus Knie has rolled into town and has brought with it a sense of childhood regained, of time temporarily suspended.
It felt fitting that such wonder would unfold here, in a place often passed through but seldom paused in.
For Kreuzlingen is not a destination that demands attention — it simply waits, patiently, to be noticed.
And if you linger long enough — by the lake, in the park, beneath the canvas of the circus tent — you might just hear the quiet voice of the town invite you to stay awhile longer in the company of stillness and story.
Above: Kreuzlingen
The circus brings people together – those who perform, those who watch the performance.
For a season, for a moment.
A circus is a spectacle of variety, a touch of fantasy, a piece of poetry and a measure of magic.
Innovation meets imagination.
Audacity meets artistry.
Practice and passion make memories.
Discipline deepens destiny.
Athletes are artists in an arena.
The circus is a colosseum with collapsible walls.
“The attraction of the virtuoso for the public is very like that of the circus for the crowd.
There is always a hope that something dangerous may happen:
Mr. X may play the violin with Mr. Y on his shoulders, or Mr. Z may conclude his piece by lifting the piano with his teeth.”
Claude Debussy
Above: French composer Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918)
Bare-chested beaus brave the heights supporting scantily clad belles balancing hearts as they defy the gravitas of gravity.
Above: Duo Disar, Circus Knie
They are a circus clan.
Géraldine, though a mother, still looks fabulous in leotard, top hat and tails.
Above: Géraldine Knie
Husband remains handsome, their boys modelled after their father.
Maycol, the man of the clan, still adheres to the wishes of the founder’s female successor.
Above: Maycol Errani, Circus Knie
Doris is chorus, the muscle behind the magic.
Above: Doris Knie
Ivan, the young man, tames horses and hearts.
Above: Ivan Frédéric Knie, Circus Knie
Chanel charms stallions and holds the seated spellbound.
Above: Chanel Marie Knie, Circus Knie
Junior is joy, a boy, the circus in his veins.
Above: Maycol Errani Junior, Circus Knie
Fredy is the wind beneath the wings.
Trapezes swing as they should.
Cues are coordinated.
Above: Fredy Knie Junior
Mary-José’s passion is more than paint and sequins.
Above: Mary-José Knie, Circus Knie
Circus Knie (German: Schweizer National-Circus Knie, French: Cirque National Suisse Knie) is the largest circus of Switzerland, based in Rapperswil.
The circus was founded in 1803 by the Knie family and has existed in its present form since 1919, when it changed from an open arena to a covered tent.
The circus has long been famous for its animals and now operates a zoo (Knie’s Kinderzoo) while its Museum in Rapperswil closed in July 2017.
Above: Knies Kinderzoo, Rapperswil, Canton St. Gallen, Schweiz
In 1999, Franco Knie was named Best Animal Tamer at the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo.
Today, the circus is an enterprise with about 200 employees.
Princess Stéphanie of Monaco travelled with the circus for some months in 2001 and 2002, while in a relationship with Franco Knie.
Above: Princess Stéphanie of Monaco
Once upon a summer
A traveling circus came to town
From the land down under
And I was filled with wonder
When I saw the girl on the flying trapeze
Tear through the air with the greatest of ease
I got cotton candy
And then in a daze, I met her gaze
And she winked right at me
And my heart pounded madly
When I saw the girl on the flying trapeze
Capture the crowd with the greatest of ease
She was a light in a dark lullaby
That girl was raised by a butterfly
I swear when I caught her eye, I could almost fly
And under the circus lights
I must have fallen in love that night
Lighter than a feather
But careful, as with a heavy heart
She seemed to fall forever
And then I wondered whether
I noticed the girl on the flying trapeze
Blink back a tear with the greatest of ease
And she took my breath away
Oh, so grand and graceful
Confetti rained as she climbed through the air
Like a homesick angel
“She makes heartache painful“
I thought as the girl on the flying trapeze
Melted my heart with the greatest of ease
What a display of rosé poetry
What a majestic menagerie
I swear when I caught her eye, I could almost fly
And under the circus lights
I must have fallen in love that night
And she took my breath away
I was so enamored
And she took my breath away
All that glitz and glamor
And she took my breath away
I was so enamored
And that’s how the girl on the flying trapeze
Knocked me off my feet with the greatest of ease
And then with a charming sweetness
She smiled and waved and took a bow
For a crowd stunned speechless
And I was charmed to pieces
When the girl on the flying trapeze
Magically dissolved like a song on the breeze
And simply broke my heart with the greatest of ease
We shook the floor with a roar of applause
She seemed to drown in the oohs and ahs
I hung around ’til the clowns tore the big top down
And soon it was almost dawn
I looked and looked but the girl was gone
Deep down I felt kind of blue for a day or two
Then clear as a bell, I knew
I would run away with the circus too
Owl City
The clown Chistirrin who keeps our attention between afternoon acts.
He is an acrobat, an entertainer.
He falls and we laugh and sympathize simultaneously.
He is wise and foolish, highest of kings and yet the lowest of the low.
Above: Chistirrin (né Marco Antonio Vega), Circus Knie
Clowns are the pegs on which the circus is hung.
P. T. Barnum
Above: American showman Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810 – 1891)
Take a look at those clowns
And the tricks that they play
In the circus of life
Life is bitter and gay:
There are clowns in the night
Clowns everywhere
See how they run
Run from despair
Kate Bush
Above: English musician Kate Bush
The Duo Disar defy death and a strap from mouth to mouth connects the Uzbekistan couple midair.
Above: Duo Disar, Circus Knie
Hng Thean Leong from Taiwan makes tops spin upon strings at a speed that the eye cannot follow.
Above: Hng Thean Leong, Circus Knie
Svyatoslav Rasshivkin, the epitome of engineered perfection and aerial artistry, suspends himself by neck and foot.
Above: Svyatoslav Rasshivkin, Circus Knie
The Troupe Skokov of Russia are eight angels careen themselves between swings and land in flawless form upon mattresses beneath the ponderous pendulums.
Above: Troupe Skokov, Circus Knie
The Zhejiang Folk Art and Acrobatics General Troupe of China – he is the earth, she is the sky, paper umbrellas spin and bounce from the soles of her feet as she balance on the body of her male partner below.
Above: Zhejiang Folk Art and Acrobatics General Troupe, Circus Knie
Eight elegant ladies from Japan dance upon unicycles.
Above: Unicircle Flow, Circus Knie
The dozen Filipinos of the Urban Crew bounce and twist and gyrate and throw themselves through hoops.
Above: Urban Crew, Circus Knie
Vincent Vignaud, the French master of illusion, makes women disappear and seemingly float above the stage and are stabbed with fiery swords and yet remain unharmed and unmarred.
Above: Vincent Vignaud, Circus Knie
Edison of Columbia and Gisele of Brazil need only a pole planted in the middle of the stage and thus the Duo Acero prove that a pole can be used for more than exotic titillation.
Above: Duo Acero, Circus Knie
The Circus Theatre Bingo dance with the flawless choreography of a Broadway production.
Lights and music set the scene and mold the mood.
Above: Circus Theater Bingo, Circus Knie
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free,
Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands,
With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves,
Let me forget about today until tomorrow.
Bob Dylan
Above: American musician Bob Dylan
It is 2025 and the Circus Knie moves around the Swiss nation.
Above: Flag of Switzerland
From their home city of Rapperswil-Jona, they travelled to Chur, Glarus and Schaffhausen before coming to Kreuzlingen.
Above: Rapperswil, Canton St. Gallen, Schweiz
Above: Chur, Canton Graubünden, Schweiz
Above: Glarus, Canton Glarus, Schweiz
Above: Schaffhausen, Canton Schaffhausen, Schweiz
Above: Kreuzlingen, Canton Thurgau, Schweiz
From Tuesday to Sunday, they will perform in Wil.
Above: Wil, Canton St. Gallen, Schweiz
From the 17th to the 21st of April they will entertain in Winterthur.
Above: Winterthur, Canton Zürich, Schweiz
May will see them in St. Gallen and Zürich, June in Zürich and Basel, July in Solothurn and Bern, August in Bern, Neuchâtel and Genève, September in Genève, Nyon and Lausanne, October in Lausanne, Vevey, Sion and Fribourg, November in Fribourg, Aarau, Zug and Agno, December in Agno and Luzern.
Above: St. Gallen, Canton St. Gallen, Schweiz
Above: Zürich, Canton Zürich, Schweiz
Above: Basel, Canton Basel Stadt, Schweiz/Suisse
Above: Solothurn, Canton Solothurn, Schweiz
Above: Bern, Canton Bern, Schweiz
Above: Neuchâtel, Canton Neuchâtel, Suisse
Above: Images of Genève, Canton Genève, Suisse
Above: Nyon, Canton Vaud, Suisse
Above: Images of Lausanne, Canton Vaud, Suisse
Above: Vevey, Canton Vaud, Suisse
Above: Sion, Canton Valais, Suisse
Above: Fribourg/Freiburg, Canton Fribourg, Suisse/Schweiz
Above: Thun, Canton Bern, Schweiz
Above: Aarau, Canton Aarau, Schweiz
Above: Zug, Canton Zug, Schweiz
Above: Agno, Canton Ticino, Svizzero
Above: Luzern, Canton Lucerne, Schweiz
What they will do in February is unrevealed.
Time is a circus, always packing up and moving away.
Ben Hecht
Above: American writer Ben Hecht (1894 – 1964)
In many cases the circus provides people’s first view of new inventions, exotic animals and people, and popular entertainment.
The way to go to the circus, however, is with someone who has seen perhaps one theatrical performance before in his life and that in the High School hall.
The scales of sophistication are struck from your eyes and you see in the circus a gathering of men and women who are able to do things as a matter of course which you couldn’t do if your life depended on it.
Robert Benchley
Above: American humorist Robert Benchley (1889 – 1945)
The whole world is a circus if you look at it the right way.
Every time you pick up a handful of dust and see not the dust but a mystery, a marvel there in your hand.
Every time you stop to think “I’m alive! And being alive is fantastic!”
Every time such a thing happens, you are a part of the circus.
Circus, n.
A place where horses, ponies and elephants are permitted to see men, women and children acting the fool.
Ambrose Bierce
Above: American writer Ambrose Bierce (1842 – 1913)
The circus is unlike anything you could ever imagine and you cannot walk away.
You want to be a part of the magic, to create it and wield it with such skill that it looked effortless.
We want to fly.
There’s only two types of people in the world
The ones that entertain, and the ones that observe
Well, baby, I’m a put-on-a-show kind of girl
Don’t like the back seat, gotta be first (oh-oh)
I’m like the ring leader, I call the shots (call the shots)
I’m like a firecracker, I make it hot
When I put on a show
I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins
Spotlight on me and I’m ready to break
I’m like a performer, the dance floor is my stage
Better be ready, hope that you feel the same
All eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus
When I crack that whip everybody gon’ trip just like a circus
Don’t stand there watching me, follow me, show me what you can do
Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor just like a circus
There’s only two types of guys out there
Ones that can hang with me and ones that are scared
So, baby, I hope that you came prepared
I run a tight ship, so beware
I’m like the ring leader, I call the shots (call the shots)
I’m like a firecracker, I make it hot
When I put on a show
I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins
Spotlight on me and I’m ready to break
I’m like a performer, the dance floor is my stage
Better be ready, hope that you feel the same
All eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus
When I crack that whip everybody gon’ trip just like a circus
Don’t stand there watching me, follow me, show me what you can do
Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor just like a circus
Let’s go
Let me see what you can do
I’m runnin’ this (like-like-like-like a circus)
Yeah, like a what? (Like-like-like-like a circus)
All eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus
When I crack that whip everybody gon’ trip just like a circus
Don’t stand there watching me, follow me, show me what you can do
Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor just like a circus
All eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus
When I crack that whip everybody gon’ trip just like a circus
Don’t stand there watching me, follow me, show me what you can do
Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor just like a circus
Britney Spears
We walk into the tent as alertly as might be, making a definite noise with our stamping heels, perceiving with eyes disillusioned by the superficial truth of streets and structures, with the trivial truth of reality.
Helplessly the mind sings.
He flies through the air with the greatest of ease – the daring young man on the flying trapeze.
He laughs with all the might of his being.
It is a splendid afternoon:
Clear, cold and cheerful, a moment for vigor and vitality.
How I long for the carnival music!
In the gutter we are mere coins.
We place our faith upon those who gyrate in gregarious glee above our heads.
There is almost nothing a man cannot believe.
And when I was twelve years old
My daddy took me to the circus
The greatest show on Earth
There were clowns and elephants, dancing bears
And a beautiful lady in pink
Tights flew high above our heads
And as I sat there watching
I had the feeling that something was missing
I don’t know what, but
When it was over
I said to myself
Is that all there is to the circus?
Is that all there is
Is that all there is?
If that’s all there is my friends
Then let’s keep dancing
Let’s break out the booze and have a ball
If that’s all there is
Peggy Lee
Above: American singer Peggy Lee (1920 – 2002)
I will purchase a horse and ride around the ring.
I will dress myself in the fashion of a fop.
I will drink and dine, and then return to the quiet.
I will drop the coin into a slot and weigh myself in the glory of the anonymous acts that surround me.
I remember how greatly I need food for the soul.
Every movement is bread for the brain.
Better than coffee and cigarettes, less barren than the burdens of life.
There are no weeds in the wagons.
There are no clouds inside the tent.
Life is as sweet as spinach to a starving man.
Pretty Elaina, my fair lady
She walked the high wire back in the ’80s
Feathers and sequins, she shined like a chandelier
Hanging from the top tent rafters
‘Till the spotlight disappeared
Harlan Giovanni, what a sight to see
The way he earned her trust was on a 20 foot trapeze
She fell so hard because he always let her fly
‘Till he left her heart suspended in a cotton candy sky
She still don’t know why
Every show must end, every circus leaves town
You don’t know the magic’s gone until the lights go down
Now she’s back in Nacogdoches
And I hear she’s doing well
She only misses Harlan when she hears a carousel
Pretty Elaina made herself a nest
Her sequins and her secrets buried in the cedar chest
No one around here knows about her other life
Johnny Davis went and made her a mama and a wife
And maybe that’s alright
‘Cause every show must end, every circus leaves town
You don’t know the magic’s gone until the lights go down
Now she’s back in Nacogdoches
And I hear she’s doing well
She only misses Harlan when she hears a carousel
Smith Country Fair
Mid-September
She walks the midway
And smiles when she remembers
Every show must end, every circus leaves town
I didn’t know the magic left ’til all the lights went down
Now I’m back in Nacogdoches
And I swear I’m doing well
I only miss my Harlan when I hear a carousel
Miranda Lambert
Above: American singer Miranda Lambert
Above: Images of Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
If the truth be told, we are all half starved.
There are no books to read and no amount of wisdom that could be taught here.
I remember the dying in hospitals, the ill in mind who sup on the surety of desperation.
I would like to follow the Circus.
Bring water to the horses.
Hold an aerial ballerina in the crux of my heart.
Once before I die, I want to live.
I ought at least to read Hamlet or Huckleberry Finn.
Above: The gravedigger scene, Hamlet, William Shakespeare
Above: Jim and Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
Baby cried the day the circus came to town
’cause she didn’t want parades just passin’ by her
So she painted on a smile and took up with some clown
While she danced without a net upon the wire
I know a lot about ‘er ’cause, you see
Baby is an awful lot like me
Don’t cry out loud
Just keep it inside, learn how to hide your feelings
Fly high and proud
And if you should fall, remember you almost had it all
Baby saw that when they pulled that big top down
They left behind her dreams among the litter
The different kind of love she thought she’d found
There was nothin’ left but sawdust and some glitter
But baby can’t be broken ’cause you see
She had the finest teacher – that was me – I told ‘er
Don’t cry out loud
Just keep it inside and learn how to hide your feelings
Fly high and proud
And if you should fall, remember you almost had it all
Don’t cry out loud
Just keep it inside and learn how to hide your feelings
Fly high and proud
And if you should fall, remember you almost made it
Don’t cry out loud
Just keep it inside and learn how to hide your feelings
Fly high and proud
And if you should fall, remember you almost had it all
Melissa Manchester
Above: American singer Melissa Manchester
It is then beneath the big top that I become thoroughly awake:
At the thought of dying.
For should a foot slip or a handgrip falter, unsympathetic tragedy topples the magic.
Now wakefulness is a state of life in a state of shock.
We are enthusiasts, devotees, addicts, voyeurs.
Something about the circus stirs the soul.
And we ache for it when it is absent.
We gawk at the clown and he laughs in our faces.
The performances are calculated to amuse the giddy and the thoughtless and to excite the laughter of fools.
There is no tendency to administer useful instruction, to regulate affections or restrain the inordinate passions of this audience.
In addition, it does not yield a rational amusement to men of understanding and reflection.
Our world is infested with dishonest, unprincipled men of various descriptions – swindlers, counterfeiters, stage players and showmen.
Life is a great big beautiful three-ring circus.
There are those on the floor making their lives among the heads of lions and hoops of fire, and those in the stands, complacent and wowed, their mouths stuffed with popcorn.
William Saroyan
Above: Armenian American writer William Saroyan (1908 – 1981)
For the benefit of Mr. Kite
There will be a show tonight on trampoline
The Hendersons will all be there
Late of Pablo Fanques Fair, what a scene!
Over men and horses hoops and garters
Lastly through a hogshead of real fire!
In this way Mr. K. will challenge the world!
To celebrate it Mr. K.
Performs his feat on Saturday at Bishopsgate
The Hendersons will dance and sing
As Mr. Kite flies through the ring, don′t be late!
Messrs. K and H assure the public
Their production will be second to none
And of course Henry The Horse dances the waltz!
The band begins at ten to six
When Mr. K. performs his tricks without a sound
And Mr. H will demonstrate
Ten summersets he’ll undertake on solid ground
Having been some days in preparation
A splendid time is guaranteed for all
And tonight Mr. Kite is topping the bill!
The Beatles
Life is a travelling circus — equal parts wonder and absurdity, joy and illusion.
We perform, we stumble, and sometimes, we fly.
Each day is a new act beneath the big top of existence.
Some of us juggle dreams, others walk tightropes of duty.
But all of us, in our own way, are part of the show.
The trick is not to avoid the chaos of the circus, but to learn which ring you belong in — and when to take a bow.
