maine state fair poems

Last week I imbibed white peony tea at the Dushanbe Tea House in Boulder. It was constructed in Kajikistan, Boulder's sister city, dismantled, shipped and reconstructed. Perfect atmosphere. I bet the Persian influence inspired me.

Later, I drafted some poems for my Maine collection. I had to write something after hauling my laptop through security! The poems recall the sights and sounds of Maine's State Fair in Skowhegan.

Midway Magic starts like this:

Carousel croons tinny tunes,
bumper cars spark ozone gas.
Barkers babble, “Step right up!
Hit the target. Three balls, a buck!”

I'm still scanning and trying to be true to the form. It's difficult, but it forces me to rethink word choice and I end up with crisper images. Thanks to Marilyn Nelson for shaking the form finger at me!