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They all stared at the odd little creature
Isn’t that what zoos were for?
I had a headache and wanted to go home
I watched the carousel go round and round
As other children smiled and flew to the moon
It costs money to fly to the moon
I stood behind the fat wooden Mother Hubbard
They all laughed because I looked funny
It’s hard to see yourself
Nylon kerchiefs itch and invite curious stares
We stood, watching the monkeys and laughed
I saw someone look at me and laugh, as if I were a monkey
Now I know that candy floss is not something from a book
It’s pale green and pink and other people eat it.
I had a headache and wanted to go home
Janet Martin
Since Margo’s Prompt on Tuesday I have been trying to decide
whether I want to write this.(We were asked to write about our first recollection of a trip to an amusement park, and sensory imagery)I'm not sure how old I was, but approx. 10 yrs old. Drifts of memory may have two trips blurred together
with distinct, similar flavors…
I was raised in a culture where we did NOT look like ‘everyone else’, and I was always keenly aware of the polite and impolite curious stares and smirks…I had a headache and wanted to go home!
Wow, not sure if I want to laugh or cry?Such a stark image.It stayed with you all these years.at least it.s a memory and that in itself is precious.
ReplyDeleteOh Lucy, I had fun with this one. I'm not sure if you would remember this trip. It's the Lion Safari Trip way back when all they had were lions and monkeys,some caged animals and a merry-go-round. (That's why we could afford to go:)...and it was sort of rainy. Mom made us were the kerchiefs from Grandma Frey. Cheryl's was olive green and mine was mustard yellow. I remember trying to slip it in my pocket until I got 'the look'. At least I wasn't wearing the coat I nick-named Speckles:)))I only wore it on Sundays...
ReplyDeleteLucy is right, this poem has power in the way you tell the memory. And, the sensory detail you include puts me there...watching. Powerful message, Janet.
ReplyDeleteThank-you Margo. I am suddenly recalling things I have not thought about in years.
ReplyDeleteI think of all the time I spent trying to be invisible, simply due to shyness. I only thought people were staring at me; then I think of you wearing an unobtrusive scarf, which you felt was the equivalent of a neon sign. I believe I might know how you felt.
ReplyDelete'the equivalent of a neon sign'...that really, truly is how I felt, and in all likelihood it was the same...I thought they were staring at me. I believe you really do know how I felt:) Thank-you for understanding.
ReplyDelete