Читать книгу Up in Maine: Stories of Yankee Life Told in Verse - Holman Day - Страница 15

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This is the season for fairs, by gosh, oh, this is

the season for fairs;

They’re thicker than spatter,

But what does it matter?

They scoop up the cash, but who cares?

From now till October they’ll swallow the

change,

These state fairs and town fairs and county and

grange,

But apples blush brighter arrayed on a plate,

And the cattle look scrumptious in dignified

state,

Enthroned in a stall and a-gazing with scorn

On the chaps going by without ribbon or horn.

And the trotters and nags of the blood-royal

strain

Are a-furnishing fun for the people of Maine;

While prouder than princes they prance to the

band,

And ogle the ladies arrayed on the stand.

Ah, every exhibit in stall or in hall,

From hooked rug to hossflesh and punkin and

all,

Takes on a new meaning, assumes a new light,

And is, for the moment, a wonderful sight.

And people hang over the stuff that’s displayed,

They swig up whole barrels of red lemonade,

And hark to the fakirs and tumble to snides,

And treat all the young ones to merry-go rides.

They sit on the grand stand, man crushed

against man,

All shouting acclaim to the track’s rataplan;

And all the delight is as fresh and as bright

As though the big crowd had not seen that same

sight.

And the people flock home with the dust in their

eyes,

But with hearts all a-fire with fun and surprise.

The girls are a-humming the tune of the band,

And dads are relating the sights from the stand;

The dames are discussing the fancy work part,

While bub hugs the Midway scenes close to his

heart.

The palms of the men folks still glow from a

grip,

And the women are thinking of lip pressed to

lip,

For all of the folks in the loud, happy throng

Have met with the friends “they’ve not seen

for so long.”

A hail and salute from the press of the mass,

Too brief, as the crowd jammed impatient to

pass,

A moment—that’s all—to renew the old tie,

A handgrasp, a lip-touch, “Hello,” and “Good-

by.”

Oh, this is the season of fairs, by gosh, the

season to lay off your cares,

Each fair is a wonder,

They’re thicker than thunder.

Hooray for the season of fairs!