Photo by Highlander
________________________
"FASTER FASTER FASTER!" screamed Dylan.
"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" yelled Aidan.
"SHUT UP!" shouted Molly
TORNADO shot up into the dark October sky, and the rainbow colored compartments spun out to the sides. The speed increased, satisfying Dylan's demands. The wind blew past them so hard, that Aidan's azure eyes began to water, and Molly's blonde hair fanned out behind them.
"WEEEEEE!" screamed Molly, grabbing the two boy's hands, and reaching for the sky. Dylan released the popcorn bag he had been tightly clutching in his right hand, and it was whipped out of sight, down to the lingering kids below.
TORNADO turned, and the three teenagers slid to the left. Laughing, Molly fell on to Dylan, as Aidan fell on her. They swung back up, and suddenly, Dylan was falling on Molly, while she was falling on Aidan. As the colors whipped by, Aidan pointed with his free hand, to a bunch of seventh-grade girls who were giggling at the half-full bag of popcorn that had landed on a good-looking eighth-grader's head.
Soon, they were gone from sight. The ride began to slow, and Molly, Dylan, and Aidan stumbled off, the two boys laughing as she skipped around the basketball courts, tripping over her own feet. The two boys ran after her as she bounded up the steps of a jumbo slide, and went tumbling right behind her as she went down it. All three of them landed in a tangled heap at the bottom, shaking with laughter. As they got up, Molly planted a kiss on each cheek, and pulled them after her as she ran to picnic tables set up by the food stands. The trio collapsed onto the benches, and Aidan grabbed a new bag of popcorn off the tray of a passing couple. Dylan and Molly were giggling as they dug into the warm and buttery goodness.
"Let's go," suggested Dylan, after every last piece of popcorn had been consumed.
They moved over to the field at the edge of the basketball courts, and sank down onto the grass, looking up at the black sky, light by neon lights, breathing in the smells of popcorn and an October Carnival.
~ _we_the_pieces_
I really enjoyed all the writing offered for this wonderful picture. Thank you all who offered their imaginative writing here. - LJ
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11 comments:
The fun, the rides, the lights and shows. Excitement for all. The best part of carnival is eating elephant ears (a/k/a as funnel cakes)
I am the crane game champion.
It didn't matter what kind of rush we were in.
How important the place was we were off to.
If we passed a carnival on the road,
we would all strain our eyes
darting everywhere,
our hands on the windows of the car
trying to see if they had crane games.
If so, we would always stop
We would play at least 10 dollars
and that Glass Piggy Bank would be mine
Oh, that fabulous Glass Piggy Bank...
With the scotch tape on the top:
an unworthy attempt to hinder my desire.
A turn of the nob, and a plunk of the coin
and the crane would reach
Reach long or close, out and down,
and grab that Piggy and pick it up.
I could feel its weight every time
and down it would drop
with a resounding clunk
which made the man behind the box curse
For he would have to give me a prize
that was worth more than 25 cents.
Back into the rice, he would place the Piggy
somewhere he thought to be out of reach
and again I would snatch it.
Soon, he will decide not to put the Piggy back in at all
But there is no stopping me.
I will just move to a box on the other side
to target a new Glass Piggy Bank.
To collect my prizes
And place them in the kitchen drawer
which he had set aside for such trophies.
For I am the crane game champion!!
Oh yes, this is 100% true. And the "we" I am referring to are my parents and I as I am an only child. :)
Carnivals...precursors to the magic of the internet. Visitors to the carnival would see strange sights from all over the world. Learn of magic tricks, play the arcade games, seek out friends, gather and talk about the latest exploits and seek out thrills that were not possible at home. Today with the competition of the Web offering the same things...regretfully the magic of the Carnival has begun to fade into the memory of days past. The days of cutting edge technology rolling into town on rails and appearing once a year to the delight of children and the young at heart has become second nature each day with the click of the left mouse button.
Carnivals
Magic, wonderous things, worlds spinning around me
Or does my head ring
Memories march across my blank screen, looking at me
From within, from beneath.
Pinks and yellows and candy
All close, to me and to you
But what did I - I chose
Perpetual innocence
and free my self wild
My laughter, still pure
Still innocent as child.
Normally gentle neon giants,
come to life horrifically.
Tossing riders in defiance
through the air so whimsically.
Vendor's fares to tempt the palate
known to please the hungy tongue
wail on their eaters with a mallet,
tenderized for gobbling, one by one.
The cute and cuddly barnyard youth
victims of innocence' love shower
grow gaping maws tooth by tooth
used against the children to devour.
What frightful festival have I found??
Carnageful Circus has come to town.
Hell's Circus
by stu pidasso 15Jan2009
The carnival welcomes the adventurous of heart,
to find play and amusement galore.
With games, rides, and things to buy;
it's an exciting place to explore.
~ That's about it for me...I'm not a big fan of the carnival but give me a down-home country fair with exhibits and critters...and I'll be there ;o).
Ruby blinked and saw negative. She opened her eyes and tried to take in the crowds, the spinning lights, the blinking games; the carnival. A large wad of pink fluffiness nudged her. It was Nick, giving her a cotton candy. She'd almost forgotten who'd brought her. "What do you think?" He asked, "Not dissapointed, are we?" He was grinning. She picked some spun sugar off the the moutain and poped it in her mouth, the way a little girl walking by was doing, "I want to go on that- and that. And that, and play that game, and can I have one of those?" It wasn't the little girl. It was Ruby pointing and cramming candy in her mouth at 17. Her first carnival! Nick laughed out loud. It was a good thing he'd just gotten paid. That teddy bear she wanted was pretty dang big.
"FASTER FASTER FASTER!" screamed Dylan.
"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" yelled Aidan.
"SHUT UP!" shouted Molly
TORNADO shot up into the dark October sky, and the rainbow colored compartments spun out to the sides. The speed increased, satisfying Dylan's demands. The wind blew past them so hard, that Aidan's azure eyes began to water, and Molly's blonde hair fanned out behind them.
"WEEEEEE!" screamed Molly, grabbing the two boy's hands, and reaching for the sky. Dylan released the popcorn bag he had been tightly clutching in his right hand, and it was whipped out of sight, down to the lingering kids below.
TORNADO turned, and the three teenagers slid to the left. Laughing, Molly fell on to Dylan, as Aidan fell on her. They swung back up, and suddenly, Dylan was falling on Molly, while she was falling on Aidan. As the colors whipped by, Aidan pointed with his free hand, to a bunch of seventh-grade girls who were giggling at the half-full bag of popcorn that had landed on a good-looking eighth-grader's head.
Soon, they were gone from sight. The ride began to slow, and Molly, Dylan, and Aidan stumbled off, the two boys laughing as she skipped around the basketball courts, tripping over her own feet. The two boys ran after her as she bounded up the steps of a jumbo slide, and went tumbling right behind her as she went down it. All three of them landed in a tangled heap at the bottom, shaking with laughter. As they got up, Molly planted a kiss on each cheek, and pulled them after her as she ran to picnic tables set up by the food stands. The trio collapsed onto the benches, and Aidan grabbed a new bag of popcorn off the tray of a passing couple. Dylan and Molly were giggling as they dug into the warm and buttery goodness.
"Let's go," suggested Dylan, after every last piece of popcorn had been consumed.
They moved over to the field at the edge of the basketball courts, and sank down onto the grass, looking up at the black sky, light by neon lights, breathing in the smells of popcorn and an October Carnival.
You know that swing ride at carnivals? There's one in CA Adventure. I always wanted to go on that ride when I was a kid. That happened to be the one ride my dad said no to. He would take me to a carnival ride place that use to be on Mission Blvd. in Montclair. Maybe it was Pomona. They were open every weekend and I LOVED it. A day with dad, candy, hot dogs and RIDES. Every time he took me,I'd want to go on the swing ride but he'd say no, it was not safe. I'd whine and beg, he still said no.I thought that one day I'd grow up and take myself there and go on that ride and show him.
So a year ago, after my dad passed away, I went to the big D land and went into CA Adventure. I stood at that ride watching the swings go around an resolved to go! It was time.
My feet would not move.
My mouth went dry.
There was a flutter in my chest.
The flutter became a pounding.
I could not move.
I did not go on the swing ride.
I don't think I'll miss not having ever gone on the ride. For me, carnivals still hold all the fun and excitement without the swing ride.
I don’t want to ride the roller coaster,
I’d rather admire this fine toaster.
The Chair-o-plane? Surely you are joking -
I don’t want a hit of what you’re smoking!
Goodness, what on earth do they call that ride?
The Zipper? No thank you, I’ll keep my pride.
I think I shall pass on the bumper cars,
I don’t like the look of those safety bars.
Why don’t we have a look inside that tent?
Oh goodness - did you see where those swords went?
I confess I had my eyes closed for that.
I like the bearded fellow in the hat.
Maybe this isn’t so bad after all!
What is that woman doing with that ball…
Okay - time to go home now, don’t you think?
Come, let’s go - suddenly I need a drink.
The Carnival
Prologue
The air is thick with smells and squeals
Of food and kids and Ferris wheels
There are spruikers, dodgems, chips and stalls
Ghost trains, drinks and mirrored halls.
Gypsies who can read your mind
And snake oil vendors, of the finest kind.
From the outside, you can sense excitement
Oozing from every stall and bright tent.
Spruiker
Come in, come in, you wont regret it!
Life will depress you, if you let it,
Look! Over there, performing fleas!
Children
Oh Daddy, Daddy, can we please?
Father
Escape from life, leave the gloom behind?
Come kids, let’s go see what we can find!
But we must be away by ten, at latest.
Children
Yea for Daddy! You are the greatest!
Gypsy
Good Sir, let me read your palms
Preacher
Your end is written in the Psalms!
Vendor
Get some donuts while they’re hot!
Or perhaps a beer would hit the spot?
Father
A beer and two donuts, the hot jam ones.
And a sausage in one of those long buns.
Actually, I think I’ll have a second beer.
Clown
Balloons, balloons, get your balloons here!
Here kids, let me twist it into a hat
Or would you prefer a dog or a cat?
Woman
Hello, big boy, how can I please you?
Come to my tent and let me squeeze you!
Don’t worry, Bruno, here, will mind the brats!
Father
No, thanks. Hey kids, look! Dancing rats!
Children
Oh yuck! That’s vile. How truly gross.
Dad! Dad! Don’t get so close!
Oh, Dad! Can we go on that spinning ride?
Father
Will you keep your food inside?
I well remember the last time, honey;
Dinner was a waste of money.
Vendor
Hey, show your kids you are a man!
Make the bell ring—if you can!
Children
Go Dad go! Give it a good whack, not a token!
Oh—never mind, it’s probably broken.
Father
Oh look, it’s late, the time has flown,
One last ride then we must head home.
Or would you like to try out the guns?
Children
It’s not fair, we are having such fun!
We want to stay until we win a hat.
Gypsy
I knew they were going to tell you that.
Children are the great negotiators!
Preacher
Repent now, prepare to meet your maker!
Father
Come kids, you didn’t listen to what I said,
It’s time I got you home to bed.
Epilogue.
The last folk leave, the night is late,
The spruiker shuts and locks the gate
The stoves are cold, they’ve cut the lights
The music’s gone and the place is quiet
The make-up’s off, the splendor shed
A drink is opened, a paper’s read.
In the caravans around the site
Ordinary people embrace the night.
Formatted version
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