GIROLAMO ZINI..............................................................................................................................................MICHELLE CASTLEBERRY

Girolamo Zini

Poem by Michelle Castleberry

Age: 20 Nationality/Place of Origin: Istria, Trieste Description: Rope-walker Cause of Death: Died of atlanto-axial disclocation (broken neck)

The secret to balance is to always fall up— Even in training, I rarely felt the net on my back. I pointed my nose away from the hills, seeing what I needed to see through the soles of my bare feet. The secret to my trade is to only desire the path the rope stretches in front of you. So I followed it every day, the crowd’s roar making tidal noise. I never cared until I heard Elena’s voice in the throng below. For one second, my feet forgot their work. My eyes found her face, and took the rest of me falling.