John Marshall School Carnival

On a winter night,

classrooms convert to carnival,

tables set with games and treats.

Tickets change hands

to toss ping pong balls

at water-filled fishbowls,

some teeter at the rim.

Parents bring decorated cakes.

For the cake walk

we circle numbered squares,

while music plays.

When it stops

we win what’s on our square,

hoping for a cake, maybe even cupcakes.

We cast a line over a bedsheet screen.

The pole bends as we jiggle the line.

On the other side, a parent

clips a small toy or treat to the hook

then gives a tug to signal a bite.

We reel it in, eyes fixed on the prize.

Laughter carries down the hall.

Windows glow into the dark,

bright squares spill out on the snow.

Paper plates bend under cake and frosting.

Goldfish swim home in plastic bags.