3:15 Experiment Poem: The County Fair
why is it during the day I have
Ideas about what to write and
at night I ghost blanks
—
after the fair
the county fair
is over–
the grand finale fireworks fades
they’re turning out the light on the ferris wheel
unleashing the bungee jump
the baby lambs go home
the pigs go to slaughter
the four hit wonders say goodbye
after the fair is over
who eats all the blue ribbon pies
and what about the cases of avocados tomatoes lettuce
who is fed by this salad
do the cherry tomatoes roll across the floor or a tongue
does the giant pumpkin go home
with the biggest zuccini?
Does the corn hook up with the
carrots and limas for succotash?
The cut roses find a secret tryst?
Who gets a new lawn from the sod?
Do the plants go back to nurseries or find themselves yards?
August 12, 2002
from Love & Terror at 3:15am: poems from the 3:15 Experiment 2001-2008
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art predator 
interesting question, i’ve often wondered similar things myself. I like the idea of the pumpkin and the zucchini pairing up…
In the UK, many of these local events take any consumables to the local residential care homes.
At least, I think they still do. Health and safety is becoming dictatorial over here, so maybe nowadays it’s just thrown away.
Really enjoy the rhythm of these lines, as in “grand finale fireworks fades.” Wonderful questions here… I’ve also wondered this. We live near some folks who grow prizewinning squashes, and after the fairs they display these monstrosities on a flatbed in the yard. It’s an impressive sight, but you can’t help thinking about how many people you could feed with a squash the size of a Chevy.
Cool, so far this experiment is working great. That is a wicked cool half dream half kitchen wonder poem. When the veges start hooking their sounds up together with personality, Fantastic.
Wonderful sense of this event dissolving. I really like the phrase “ghost blanks.”
I second Nathan. Sometimes all I get is ghost blanks, too.
Awesome write.
-Nicole
the second part is delicious. I love delicious.
In a way this poem reminds me of your poem about the lost boot on the trail, because of how the narrator muses about the parts of life that are left behind after everyone has gone. Also interesting are the images of the animals’ lives, the food perhaps gone to waste. I get a sense of aftershocks of energy.
Thank you, everyone!
fascinating thought about dissolving…hadn’t thought about how poems can dissolve like a ghost right before my eyes…
love half kitchen wonder-Paul
A squash the size of a chevy? makes me wonder where you live–in the land of the jolly green giant?? can’t imagine a squash that big would be tasty–except in pie! mmn pie everything is good as pie!
Annamari, I love delicious too! pie is delicious!
Interesting, Christine! I hadn’t thought of it but I see what you mean!
If you want to see the poem Christine is talking about, go to:
https://artpredator.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/boots-by-rick-mobbs-poem-by-art-predator/
Thanks again everyone, for stopping by! I look forward to seeing what you’ve been up to!
This is really cool – I love “blue ribbon pies” and the cherry tomatoes….many good details.
And I used to wonder why I never got ideas at a time I could actually sit down and write, dammit…now I just sit down when I have time and wait for what comes. Gotta do what you gotta do, I guess.
‘and what about the cases of avocados tomatoes lettuce
who is fed by this salad
do the cherry tomatoes roll across the floor or a tongue’
This makes me think of a stop-motion animation short that used to air as part of ‘Sesame Street’, when fruits would sing to the opera ‘Carmen’ in the kitchen when no one was looking.
i will have to check that video out, Julia! i’m sure it’s on youtube somewhere
twitches, i’ve found i do best if my life is flexible enough to allow me to write when i’m inspired–AND finding a regular time and committing to it!