The Demon Horse on the Carousel

The trucks came in with the travelling show

To the heart of our western town,

They set their tents in the twilight glow

And circled the wagons round,

While we, the boys of the neighbourhood

Were watching with minds alight,

The girls in the pearl bikini’s

Who would brave the trapeze that night!

 

The light sprang out of a million bulbs

In yellow and pink and green,

Lighting the booths of the grinning clowns

That you rolled a ball between,

A Carny carolled, ‘A Penny a shy!’

And leered, with his gold-capped teeth,

Like a hungry shark at the fattest Mark,  

But with eyes of a petty thief!

 

And then the music began to stir

Like a grind from an organ song,

The puffing steam of the calliope

As the crowd began to throng,

While horses bucked and lowered their heads

The Carousel went by,

Riding on into the future as

It left us, high and dry.

 

I stayed all night by the Carousel,

Watching the people ride,

Off to a magical future where

No-one grew old, or died,

The organ stuttered its music

And the steam puffed by in clouds,

As a big black horse by the inner rail

Stood wrapped in a sheet-like shroud!

 

Nobody rode that noble horse,

Nobody even tried,

The Barker motioned the folks away

When they strayed to the horse’s side,

But I stood still and hypnotised

To watch as it rose and fell,

Its mane a-stream like the darkest dream,

As dark as the deepest well!

 

I waited until they called - ‘Last ride,

The last ride for the night!’

I paid my money and climbed aboard

And went for the horse - ‘Midnight!’

The Barker stood with his back to me

Was calling the ride aloud,

So I hid beside the great black horse,

Pulled off the enveloping shroud!

 

The ride was off and away, I leapt

And clung to the horse’s mane,

Its head was tossing so high and proud,

This horse had never been tame!

The stars were high in the midnight sky,

The Moon was up and about,

But then the music began to change,

And the lights of the ride went out.

 

The wind blew up and the world went by

And the Carousel spun round,

I couldn’t see past the horses head,

We seemed to be far from the ground,

The horse got rid of its wooden pole

Whinnied, while shaking its head,

Then turned to look at the boy on its back,

And the glass in its eye glowed red.

 

The music suddenly turned around

Ran backwards around the rig,

Just like a mad asylum sound,

It seemed like a whirligig,

While ‘Midnight’ galloped on through the stars

And bucked and pranced in the air,

And I grew sick with a deadly fear

I’d be thrown off its back out there!

 

The ride continued for hour on hour,

We travelled down to the core,

I saw some visions of what might be…

I don’t want to see any more!

‘Just take me back to the town,’ I cried,

‘Just let my nightmare be!’

The horse looked on me with glowing eyes,

I’d swear that he pitied me!

 

The lights came on in the Carousel,

The horse, it came to a stop,

I slipped and fell from the horse’s back,

And the Barker helped me up.

I felt so stiff I could barely move,

The man said, ‘and that’s why…

We never let fellows as old as you

Take the Demon Horse for a ride!’

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Foxemerald]

What a splendiferous fashion! The way that you wrote out the Carousel ride made me feel as though I was riding upon the fury of a black horse through a black-starlit sky, filled with wonders . . . then only to emit a chuckle filled with a kind of non-sequitur as I was brought back to the kids ride. Truly enrapturing!

[Vicky Zhuang Yi-Yin]

Mr. Paget, I love what you've written here. I love the story in the poetry. It's just beautiful. You pretty much summed up why kids are so interested in things that they don't know of, and when they actually experience it, they really don't want to be a part of it at all. I like how mysterious the horse seemed to be, and the buildup of the poem was absolutely amazing. I'm actually out of words to say. Keep up the good work. Awesome, awesome, awesome.
Keep writing
Yin

[Valentine]

WOW..what a wonderful child's tale this could be turned into..You amaze me mate and I pray this is NEW and you are back into your poetry stride..Thanks for the pictures you sent to me..are they pushing those things down there also?? Hope you had a super Christmas and that the New Year brings good health and happiness to Lyn and yourself..love to you both..Kathie

[nancy.sedky]

Wooooooow, i have never pictured such intense image,bravoooo keep it up
Waiting for more work

[R J Askew]

'And the glass in its eye glowed red' is the best line for me as I cld see that exactly and was into the read and yarn by then. The opening reminded me of my own memories of when the circus came to town in Lancaster, Lancashire. They wld parade the elephants to the park. The smells were fantastic. Great memories. But there is more to your poem than that. Maybe there is a dark horse on every ride there is. The temptation is always strong. Such is life! A great read, sir.

[Penlady]

Wonderfully visual!

[Lena M. P.]

Fantastic David. The journey on this story took me for the ride too. You had my curiosity peaked to wonder about the horse and then when the boy jumped his back I just knew he was sunk for sure. I was surprised when it allowed him to return. Breathtaking and Spectacular!

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you for the amazing story in the poem. Had me from the start with the powerful description. I like the ending a lot. A excellent poem.
Coyote

[msharma]

Excellent blend of the village life, beautiful scenery represented.

[Elaenor Aisling]

Wonderfully written. It held me entranced the whole time I read. Great work.

[patricia]

whoah! Superb! There's not many poems give me goosebumps but this one did, the rythm was great, the horse's glass eye was a stunning line. It was an ongoing adventure where anything could have happened. One for my library I think. Thankyou. A privilege to read. Loved it. Trish.