Levity

the brevity of levity grows seamlessly

to bring a smile, a snicker, a laugh

with happy clowns and tricksters

a juggler, a mime, all variety

of entertainers, resisting the sound

of the merry-go-round and Ferris wheel

but the crowds that wound their way through

are silenced now as the cold breeze washes

through the tree limbs, shaking the leaves

that dance and prance on their way to the ground

but I remember the joy on children’s faces

covered in cotton candy and holding a balloon

while Mom and Dad try to win a teddy bear

tossing rings onto pop bottles while I

was ready to go to bed