THE CARNIVAL SONG
by David Williams 1982
In the big field the colored lights hung from a pole and we'd work for the rides, free games and fools gold,
and the muscle-men smoked, and sat and drank beer,
and told us all stories we wanted to hear.
THE FAT NAKED LADY, THE THIN TATTOOED MAN, GC
THE POPCORN FACED PEOPLE GAZING UP FROM THE STANDS. FCF THE PAINT PEELING PONIES ON THE MERRY-GO-ROUND,
WHEN THE CARNIVAL CAME TO THE EDGE OF OUR TOWN.
The caged wild bird would sing, and the monkey would squawk, the game tenders fought, and the strong ladies talked,
we dreamed of the names of the places they go,
like Wichita, Tulsa, and Amarillo.
And at nighttime the big ferris wheel music’d play,
And we’d win cigarettes from a pop bottle game,
Then sneak under the tent, cause we weren’t of age
To see the bare breasted woman dancing out on the stage.
And after a week, the field grew back again,
and there were just weeds where the colors had been, the sky looked so black where the big tent had shown, and we never said nothing, going through there to home.