Two Bit Carnival Trick

Laborless windmill flings downward the sledge.

Echo of consciousness already puts him on edge.

Jealousy revealed, loathed by a sniper,

tension release, tilt rigs the high striker.

True to himself he dead centered his blow.

A fortuitous price unforeseen by the show.

Sweet spot well stricken but seemingly foul to the core,

covertly he’s exploited to the likes of a w***e.

Portrait of ridicule ingrained in his head,

example only, not benchmarked what fills him with dread.

Regrets he has many, vindicated neglect,

his legacy foretold a long-suffering respect,

a hit-or-miss consequence, a collateral side-effect. 

 

Strategically hung low are the beasts of fair torment,

below them the milk cans lined in unilateral decent

Modified openings, bent and twisted with decay,

hardly Three-Card-Monte but far from Grade A.

Searching for a mark to toss the lightened ball,
the carnie sets his mark and wails his bally call,

“Hey buddy, win one for the pretty lady, can try once for free”

 

Fortune would have it they had just met,

the night up till now viewed a disaster was not over yet.

Fates game of chance was truly meant to be,

a smile started from his eyes, her heart unlocked if by key.

Step right up, one in wins choice!

Shaken from scrutiny by a burlesque voice,

his date eggs him on trying to get some emotion,

little did she know what would be set into motion.

He steps right up the goal in dead focus,

like a magician’s hand without the hocus pocus,

a flick of the wrist, targeted perfect,

rolling around inside a wondrous sound effect

The smile on her face all telling what had begun!

Carney call sings out truth. “There goes another lucky one!”

 

Choices made are solely based on decision,

chances we take helped by fates great precision,

not unlike lying a ship in a bottle,

sometimes we lose all control pegged out full throttle.

Sentenced to solitude what was needed the least,

a dove with clipped wings his dreams had all ceased,

a turtle in his shell to scared to come out,

the fight he once fought, he had lost his last bout.

Couldn’t believe all that once was,

his life now it seemed wasn’t fit for the birds,

what was left not the truth he would want to be heard.

The freak show curtain beginning to rise,

sanctuary never given, told by the tear in his eye.

Showman to the end, not really a great surprise,

“Should you fail to see everything as promised,

money fully refunded, not at all will I be biased,

everything alive and close enough to touch!”,

But in the end he still cared for the people too much.

He quietly walks alone from the stage,

twisted fingers releasing his rusty ten gauge.

 

Unwise to leave fate to the penny arcade,

a game that can’t be won or lost it can only be played.

Futures left bestowed by the cards we are dealt,

choices we make are very seldom heartfelt.

Daydreaming, mind altered and tipsy,

he foolheartedly leaves fate to the fortune telling gypsy.

The woman he’s with supportive and true,

she could have never foreseen what was about to ensue,

the machine drops a card its decision foretold,

ignorant coward far from gallant and bold.

He left her that day alone at the fair,

serendipity conveyed, an unrequested prayer.

Karma as it appears comes in many a form,

stayed true to herself, which is far from the norm.

Happiness today as rare as it seems,

her answer having been met, he helped fulfill all her dreams.

Author's Note

A paradoxical look at how sometimes a small almost insignificant event could trigger a butterfly effect forever altering the course of one’s destiny compared & concealed within how games of chance can be rigged to favor one side.
The effect I was seeking was to make you ask yourself is this event in my life real or is it just a two-bit carnival trick?