Carnival Poem

An old one I consider sort of a signature poem, this can be found in my chapbook...

Carnival Poem

The carnival came on Post, on the Base
after school
after dark
when the lights on the rides
made circles in the sky
as they spun spun spun
we screamed
flew high, rushed fast
swung wide
shooting balloons
water pistol clowns
playing skeeball
playing pretty girls
lip gloss and eye
shadows
of the full full moon
of the wet fall leaves
cotton candy
snowcones, popcorn
loud rock and roll
the heavy old voices
calling up ghosts
“Step Right Up”
to the tilt-a-whirl
to the scrambler
rollercoaster, rocket ship tip
“Who will dare?”
I would dare
the girls chewed gum
fixed their hair
walking standing walking
boring
looking for ‘him’
being seen by ‘them’
scenicly be-seen scenery
I wanted action
to soar high, fly
spin faster
get dizzier
break open the sky
to rock and jerk
through the crisp night air
with the world so small
from the tipppity tip top
of the ferris wheeeeel
the wizened old men
winked and slurred
when they belted me in
padded cars smelled like
old roller skates
“you got pretty eyes honey”
and dropped theirs
“Whatsyername?”
the quarterback gave Betsy his letter jacket
the air hung bright
with sex and smoke
the women sneered
at the high school
scene seen it all
for centuries
withered, tattooed
swearing and wise
bad teeth cackling
I wanted to join them
a wild gypsy queen
travelling in trucks
selling youth potions and lies
or crank slugging
space ships off to the moon
rabbits feet and feathered roach clips
I wanted to
feed big snakes
drink, smoke, fuck, laugh
a gear-greased, sawdusted
Madam
of the weird night world.