The County Fair

The child in me cannot resist, The call of that remembered sound. My ears direct my eager feet To the old time merry-go-round. The horses with their gilded manes Are prancing as in days of old, And as I watch their circling race It’s as if Daddy’s hand I hold. Recalling how he lifted me To the broad back of brightest steed, He’d stay to watch I didn’t fall. It was a thrilling ride indeed. My mama entered canned preserves In competition at the fair. She always acted so surprised At the blue ribbon lying there. My brother liked the shooting games, Or pitching for enormous bear, While Daddy never missed the cows And horses at the county fair. Cotton candy and buttered corn, Hot dogs, hamburgers, lemonade, I ate ‘til I could eat no more; Sweet memories that never fade. An adult now and grange member I love the grand produce displays. I enter flowers in open class And hope they last the full three days. My grandchildren are in 4H And prone to scorn the “go around”. They ride their horses in parade. I am the proudest grandma found. They’re more sophisticated now Than I was in that long ago When wooden steeds on happy rides Was greatest fun a child could know. Fairs come in August every year, Where fun for families is found. My great joy when I was young, Riding on the merry-go-round. When the next county fair is on, Don’t miss it or you may feel sad. Remember how it was back then The best fun that you ever had.