High up above the crowd The great Valerio is walking The rope seems hung from cloud to cloud And time stands still while he is walking His eye is steady on the target His foot is sure upon the rope Alone and peaceful as a mountain And certain as the mountain slope

We falter at the sight We stumble in the mire Fools who think they see the light Prepare to balance on the wire But we learn to watch together, And feed on what we see above ‘Till our hearts turn like the seasons And we are acrobats of love

How we wonder, how we wonder Watching far below We would all be that great hero The great Valerio

Come all you upstart jugglers Are you really ready yet? Who will help the tightrope walker When he tumbles to the net So come with me to see Valerio As he dances through the air I’m your friend until you use me And then be sure I won’t be there

How we wonder, how we wonder Watching far below We would all be that great hero The great Valerio

Richard Thompson The Great Valerio October 1, 2008
Posted on October 1, 2008