SYLVIA PLATH MADE ME DO IT: A story in verse

Other sample poems from the book can be found here:

Pink Cotton Candy

Debbie's Canzone

Contemplations

At the Pool After Closing Hours

PINK COTTON CANDY
taken from Sylvia Plath Made Me Do It

The dark skies hung with electric fireflies somehow bottled inside each lightbulb decorating each ride on the fairground. People and bugs mingled as Dad and Mom and I got a distinct whiff of cow manure a barn stall away.

Stuffed prizes swum past my eyes. I begged Dad to bag a few for me. He chuckled as he aimed a game rifle at the bobbing tin ducks and crowed whenever a duck flipped down. He gave Mom all my prizes except one, a stuffed parrot that I had to carry.

I squealed and pointed to all the rides I wanted to get on. Dad chuckled while Mom shook her head and tried not to look so concerned as he buckled me into each of my rides. Away I went, slowly spinning and bobbing and floating, as I waved to Dad and Mom who waved back and beamed. Sometimes their friends would stand next to them and talk while waving patiently to me.

I was in a hot summer night’s dream that would always come back to me in a flash whenever I tasted heaven, a billowy cloudful of pink cotton candy. I will be forevermore an angel of the fairground. The clouds above are awaiting me to hop aboard.

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