Craig Cornish Poet Free verse

The Carnival

The biggest tent reverberated,
a geriatric battleground;
high stakes - two bits a card,
hardened veterans played 4.

Calls echoed through the thick air
where baritone pitchmen sang
to an orchestra of fairground pipes.

The carousel spun in
dizzy reality

smiles, cheers, BINGO! - frowns.

A couple of "marks" strolled by - unknowing
fodder for the next grafter.

I escaped to the safety
of the dart tent where dull darts
glanced off underinflated balloons and

cupies and teddys sat staring -
a loving child three lucky shots away

This, when phones were home
leashed to the wall and
families still ... hung out.

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Daniel Turner June 16, 2017 at 5:37 PM I only got to go to a couple, My dad would have tore me up if he had found out. Thieves and gypsies feasting on innocence. If you did get lucky enough to win, they would always give you the ugliest toy and most useless toy they had. Cool poem, Craig:) Craig Cornish June 17, 2017 at 12:59 PM Back when Daniel, Dad and Mom would take us often and the one we went to most I would actually work a tent, usually the baseball pitch. Funny, but I've only been to a couple since I was a kid---thanks Bud