THE CAROUSEL

A memory from my childhood.

 

When I was a child the raw

earthy decadent smell of carnival

flashing mirrors and bright lights

frightened me

the gaudy carousel

giddy with colour

ruby red garish paint

splashed with speckled

orange, red and green on

stationary horses

with bizarre wooden faces

I hang suspended

as the music starts to grind

desperately feeling for stirrups

that feet never reach

my stomach churing over

like a piano roll

in time with the clanking

of the greasy machinery

the smelly oily rags hanging

from the overall's of a freckled

faced youth with a cheeky grin

round and round blurred faces

flashing before me stare fixedly

I grab the golden pole attached to

my poor inanimate pony

holding on so tightly that my

knuckles turn red, white

then numb

music, horses, noises, spilt food

the sickly smell of sawdust

blended together and I am

loosing my grip on the slippery

glossy brown smooth saddle

the music blaring through microphones

as the carosel moves

at a frightening pace

then suddenly the ride is over

I have conquered my fear

until next time ~

 

 Copyright: Helen M. Crutchett (all rights reserved)

Reviews

[Einstein Noodle]

who doesn't love the Carousel from our youth ...the real ones ...the place i grew up named the main mall the Carousel Mall in honor of the Carousel in it ...preserved from extinction when the amusement park was taken over ... sigh!
what a fine job of putting me into that child...first ride perhaps and pretty young ...and thorough one ride than the next one grows a bit ...starts to scream in delight and even ... makes a grab for that gold ring that sings to flighty adventure ...and a free ride ;) love this....tho the descriptors are kind of yucky ..the excitement and glories of the Carnival come thorough in that child... nicely done says i! ..kind of a brilliant contrast ma'am
E.

[Norman 223]

I shared your inital trepidation, when a child. The noise, apparent speed and the "diizzy" height of my steed. Then I grew up and now cannot resist the wonderful sound of a steam organ or calliope. It was a great excuse to "ride" with my kids, and recapture the experience of being a kid again.
I only tried real horse-riding once....never again!
Motor cycles were far more predictable :-)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i was like this on Ferris Wheels...loved to ride them, but closed my eyes most of the time...the heights bothered me so much...i really like this poem...lots of aspects of carnivals are a bit eerie...especially to a child...i had an incident with a carousel horse once...there was a carnival across the street from where i lived...we used to go watch them set up...one time i lifted the canvas over the carousel to look inside...raised my head and bam, got kicked by a wooden horse by that metal thing used to climb on to it...My head bled for half an hour...
oh the memories poem can raise from the dead.

j.

[Coyote Poetry]

A wonderful poem my dear friend. I loved the carnivals. The sweets, the rides and the content people. I enjoyed your description of place and yur thoughts. Thank you Helen for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote