Member-only story
Carnival
A Narrative Poem
During the summers
of my undergraduate studies
I worked as a carnival worker
derisively known as a ‘carny’
If you worked a game like I did
it was called ‘working a joint’
if you worked on a ride
you were referred to as a ‘ride jock’
Most setups had all the requisite rides
the Tilt-A-Whirl
the Ferris Wheel
and of course the carousel
The younger children
loved the carousel the most
with its strange array of animals
and the syncopation of the music and the lights
There was nothing more precious to a child
than the biggest prize of all
a giant stuffed animal to take home
that would cost the parents a small fortune to win
I’ll always remember as I closed for the night
a father carrying a giant stuffed panda (or maybe a tiger)
and the glowing ear-to-ear smile
it would bring to their child’s face.
