Carnival

Carnival

I'll take two scoops of
pain
in a sugar cone
please

let it burn my lips
cold
sweet
searing
deep and deeper

We rode the Tilt-a-Whirl
spun
soared
plunged
clung
bared teeth at each other
in laughter
while the bile rose

We visited the Hall of Mirrors
stared stared stared
at happy phantoms
with cotton candy sickly smiles
and blurry sunshocked eyes
that faded faded faded
into wavery shadows

We played on the Midway
in dust
sweat
futility
and left trinkets of love
in plastic bins
behind us

Then
I'll delicately bite off
the tip of the cone and
suck the last bitter drops

Yeah. That's what I'll do.

Hold the sprinkles.

copyright 2005 by Stephen M. Larson