#tma 044

[poemsforthetmarchives]

For 044 (again): ‘Big Dreams’, by April Halprin Wayland

The scruffy house cat aches to fly— she dreams all day of wings and sky! So tonight she climbs the ladder, mounts a platform, nothing matters except to catch a thin trapeze then hold on tight with grace and ease. She swings herself by both front paws then somesaults to wild applause of kitchen mice, who, though dizzy, encourage Cat, to keep her busy.

[poemsforthetmarchives]

For 044: ‘The Fair’, by Joshua Mehigan

The fair rolled into town surprisingly intact, like a plate unbreakable because it has been dropped and glued so many times that it is all glue and no plate. The fair was no fair. But, oh, it was a thrill! The fair slid into town just as a clown slides into pants. The fit was loose but right. The sheriff  had a job directing traffic. The barber was the sheriff  for a night, and people paid to see a human ape. They frowned to find her happy and alive. The fair spilled into town like a box of tacks. Later that month, in with the rest at church, were people no one knew, though none could tell exactly who was who.

[red-archivist]

Additionally, I think someone may have found these… secret tapes. They do not appear to have been disturbed, but the drawer in which I kept them is slightly more open than I left it.

his paranoia is already flaring up

what’s worse, this could have been a complete accident...

or it could be not!sasha screwing with him

[red-archivist]

A decidedly tame result for a run-in with Gregor Orsinov’s troupe, especially as this would have been during the height of their tour.

gertrude’s comments at the end highlight how differently she operated from jon

there’s no follow-up research or attempt to verify this account bc she knows it’s real, and she knows the broader context into which the story fits

she can slot this piece into a bigger puzzle but jon isn’t even sure anything connects yet

[red-archivist]

Ivan took his final step, lifted his right foot, and placed it upon the platform on the opposite tent pole. He had made it. He gripped the pole and moved around it and out of sight.

of course the difference here is that the little brother survives his experience

[red-archivist]

Everything else was forgotten as I watched him there, and the sounds of the world around me faded away.

there is an obvious parallel here, with another pair of brothers - with the eldest watching his little brother used as a plaything by the Circus

[red-archivist]

The last cage was empty, save for a large hessian sack. It was tied by thick rope, wrapped around so tightly that it bulged through the gaps in its binding.

another older manifestation of the bags from thrown away maybe?

[red-archivist]

The Russian she spoke was perfect, but her accent, her intonation were all wrong; each time she spoke it was abrupt and repetitive, like a scratched record.

early nikola?