FriendBurst Blog

This was created for the CPC Friday Fling poetry challenge, where Michelle and I are looking for ballads about summer fairs and carnivals. 

My earliest memories of a summer fair was the “James E. Straits Shows” summer carnival that for years came to the same field two miles down our road for a week. I never was good on the (for me literally nauseating) rides, and seldom had money for the games. But I remember being fascinated by the sideshow, where kids were not allowed. This is a fanciful tale mixing a real person and a real movie she made with an imaginary story line.

Sideshow Star

Have you heard the heartwarming tale
of the famous carnival barker
who always drew huge crowds year after year
under the name of Little Miss Marker?

Her legend lives on from that day to this;
curly blonde hair and eyes of blue.
On the sideshow stage no one stood taller
though she was only three foot two

Little Miss Marker the carnival barker.
Lighter or darker, no contrast was starker.

In a voice big as all outdoors,
as each odd creature’s poster she paraded by,
she’d point her baton like it was a rifle
while spouting the most outrageous lie.

Three hundred pounds became a thousand.
A hidden girdle made Siamese twins.
Without batting an eye, she would say
“Swordfish Man” had lungs, and fins.

Little Miss Marker the carnival barker
Lighter or darker, no contrast was starker.

She was innocence personified,
or so the suckers thought each time,
till she’d shout the order: “step right up!
You can see the whole show for one thin dime!”

Her own past was a mystery
The story was she had been lost
as a marker in a poker game.
between her father and the carny boss.

Little Miss Marker the carnival barker.
Lighter or darker, no contrast was starker.

She’d won many friends with her winsome charms,
like the bearded lady whom she trimmed
The sword swallower and his apeman brother
supported her when fortunes slimmed.

She was reasonably happy until the day
her parents passed by the sideshow stage;
They stole her back from the carny boss
Little Miss Marker’s life turned a new page.

Little Miss Marker the carnival barker
Lighter or darker, no contrast was starker.

Copyright July 21st 2011 RGD