Even Carnies Fall In Love

Cell phone photo of workers setting up Portland riverside carnival by Wayne R. Flower

By the riverside, they are setting up a carnival.
The rides wait to hold children; the giant plastic bears have
bowls in their bellies
and there are seats within the bowls.
Their upturned paws pay homage to the river while the
plastic mouths of the bears are forever in a grimace; Disney grimace.
The sun is sliding down, seemingly about to burn
houses upon the hills to the West and
the carney’s day is done they
wander between silent rides
and homeless men strewn about the grass like
soldiers in a grimy war.
These carnies are only one step from the homeless men, it seems to me
and the only things distinguishing them from their fallen brothers
are their bright hardhats, awkwardly perched on heads holding blank, hard faces.
One of the carnies takes his hardhat off, kisses a young woman waiting for him in the grass.
Yeah, even carnies fall in love.