Poetry

Monday, 1 November 2021

Bath and West Show ground

 Well I went to the Bath and West

It was high time and I felt blessed

The tents were divine

I was a child in my prime

With my friend we did climb

The stairs to the Army

As a sergeant Major barked

My friend leapt into the dark

But he couldn't grab a hold of the rope

And as he slid down

His hands burnt reddy brown

I turned around without hope

In hindsight it was perhaps a cowardly move

But we never know just how to improve

Anyway does pain do us good or is it vain

To try strength in place of self-love


We wandered on and bought the magic eye and it fascinated

And we saw the candy floss guy

And we past by girls who caught our eye

But oh Matthew was braver than I


And the streamers swam in the mid morning sun

And the bunting flew above everyone

And we came to the castle of the helterskelter

And it seemed so easy, like a river delta

Just flow from the mouth down to the sea

On a magic carpet of discovery

But reality proved a somewhat different experience

The long queue to the top

Was like following the herd

Of dumb cattle to the slaughtering chamber

Like sacrificing yourself for a penthouse view

And that was the nicest thing I remember

As I carried the doormat that was so heavy

Like december

And its black rubber sole and its brushed hair heart

That I should have slid on

But instead the mat from the slide didn't part

For I was too young, and too light of body

To give enough downward gravity

Instead the mat stayed still

And it would not slide

And then all the others began piling up behind

It was shame and embrassment

That I felt to the sound of the laughing,

The gaffaws

As I slowly pulled myself down the slide

By the bannisters and then followed

The descent of my pride for I shall never ride

The helterskelter no more

No I never rode no more 


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