shy stars

The blackest sky, no stars tonight
They've been wiped out by whirling,
warring, colored light and rush and scream
of people whipped 'round by machine.
They call it fair. It travels round
and sucks the kids and lovers in
like old popcorn swept up and whirled,
knocked dizzy, spat out and set down
in nightmare scene to run around
and back in line again, or rush
- heads spun - to stands for pretzels,
funnel cakes and grease and salt
and sugar acid cans. A night like this
goes on stretched time. A night like this
has always just begun
and by the time

it ends
you're gone

across the empty
park you've parked.
The music fades
to glowing dark,

and then - you look across
to who you're with, in this
the strangest place that you've
belonged.

And see a smile, dumb and wide
as yours. Then CRASH! The lights behind
go black as one

And reappear
as stars
re-hung