one

When kings went forth to do battle

in answer to unseen trumpet fanfares before and behind

we sat spellbound in darkened theatres and almost gasped. And when they had won

their celluloid prizes and had returned

to their castles in rain to reign

we two walked our home town streets

laughing

and were silent when we remembered how

great had been the dangers of the king.

Cotton candy days

and we were young.

Lazy afternoons when we lay on the grass with our poles searching for some unknown whale of a fish to tell our tales later to our friendswhen we'd pass the straws around pretending we were like Grandpa who always scolded, or Pa

who never smiled,

or Grandma

with her corn cob

who gave us nickles

because we were God's little ones.

The tinsel, forgotten from the Christmas sagging tree drooped like weary sentinels. when we presented our own special made Carnivals and we pretended we were birds flying away to home,

and beautiful ladies and gentlemen

who never bathed

but lived only to look their best,

(we never saw around us)

and Chinese magicians who sneezed with winter colds

and were hollered at for

trying to saw Baby in half. Look mister! No Mirrors! No tricks up OUR sleeves!

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