The Dancing Girl

I walked on down to the travelling show

Thinking to take a ride,

When the barker said, in a voice so low

‘There’s a Dancing Girl inside.’

He opened the flap of the crimson tent

And he tried to wave me in,

I said I didn’t know what he meant,

He replied, ‘What price for sin?’

I said I wanted to take a ride

Not look at a Dancing Girl,

There were plenty down at the local club

In my easy, sleazy world.

‘There’s not a thing she could teach me now

For I’ve seen it all before.’

He said, ‘This girl is the Jezebel

Who performed for Kings, and more.’

I waved him off and I carried on

In my search for a thrilling ride,

And spent the evening whirling, twirling

Over the countryside,

But as I turned to travel on home

I passed by the crimson tent,

And the barker opened the flap again

To see if I would relent.

It must have been curiosity

For I turned and went inside,

Into its darkened depths I went

To flatter his wounded pride,

There was eastern music playing low

And I heard a woman wail,

Kneeling in front of an altar there

And the name inscribed was ‘Baal.’

She heard me there, and got to her feet,

And danced like an ancient rhyme,

But underneath the paint on her face

Was the ravage of endless time,

Gold and silver glittered and gleamed

From the very little she wore,

With chains and bracelets jangling as

She danced around, like a w***e.

She pressed her body against me then

And jabbered some foreign tongue,

The only word that I thought I heard

Was the one on the altar, One!

The barker stood in the entranceway

And she muttered his name, aloud,

She said Ahab, and I thought to run

He stood in the way, and bowed.

She pushed me up to the altar then

And tried to force me to kneel,

I thought of the Bible story, and

My skin had crawled at her feel,

I fought her off, and pushed her away

The man she called Ahab scowled,

And as I left by the flap of the tent

The dogs by the entrance howled.

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[A Soap Mess Stories]

Didn't expect the ending to this one!

[KT-B]

I was hypnotised with this one....what a scary experience!!

[T.S. Sky]

Very scary and intriguing story.

[Coyote Poetry]

A very interesting tale my friend. Those dangerous places and dancing girls. Temptation and danger for the weak in the heart. Nice ending to the amazing tale my friend.
Coyote

[E G TEN]

Always a pleasure Mr. Paget, you always tell a tall tale on your narratives. Living in Vegas got me smiling on this piece, can relate much ;) and your endings are always riveting. Very Cool, EG.

[Tony Jordan]

More than he bargained for, our lad here.
Just goes to show - curiosity nearly killed this cat.
I think personally, I'd have been in like Flynn to see the dancing girl and ended up a sacrificial lamb to old Baal.
Another cracker DLP.

[Valentine]

Interesting write and rhymes well. Two questions, was it the old age lines on her face that turned him away? What was the one word on the altar? Valentine