The Unexpected Fair

by Christopher Barnes

A backswept alley eye-opener—

Roll up roll up to this pleasure-round attraction.

They tout tuck, ding-dong fights, wild oats music—

Customer-snatching freak shows

In diamond-studded light.

Uncork a grumbling metropolitan purlieu—

Spanner-built thrills,

Ping-clink coin-heavy arcades.

Twist-a-whirl, shoot-the-chutes

And all your awe will be gravity-flung.