Traveling Black Carnival Show Poem by Leland D'Elormie

September was hot when the carnival came,
The stands were all packed at the home-field game,
The lights in the night were like so many dreams,
That burst when they broke on the bonfire flame.

Then 300 clowns went marching in time,
To the sound of the band at the head of the line,
And four tight-rope walkers and a freak gave their lives,
Every one was so happy to go,
To O' Malley's black carnival show.

We watched the magician and called out his trick,
And we drank so much beer that poor Lenny got sick,
Madame Kripp told our fortunes and we marveled and gawked,
At the old Fiji mermaid, which we poked with a stick.