At a carnival, vast as a State Fair
I wander through smells of popcorn
And ride a cart through The Dragons Lair

A hawker approaches, the world up his sleeve
Promising me a ride of a lifetime
After which I wouldn’t know sadness or grieve

He leads me through a crowd of salted meat
To a watercraft floating on a shore of blue
And in an hour, the other shore I meet

The float grew muscled wheels that crawled ashore
And latched onto a greasy black chain that dragged me through
A world shaped like paisley and calligraphy galore

I saw my mothers, great and grand, both long ago dead
They shared a room with a drunken snoring stranger
Who are you! I shouted, Get out of my mothers’ bed!

She stood swaying,, in medals and camouflage
She flew sorties in World War 2, dressed in an apron
Her plane was covered in her children’s artistic decoupage

I’ve learned I missed the last boat
Here I am overnight, and happy to float
Upon paisley dreams in a sinewy float.