Farewell Fantasy Fest

All that glittered lay crumpled in the street,

morning light shimmers on my carmine feet

Tutus and tiaras, cat tails and devils horns,

someone’s forgotten their crown of thorns

I vaguely remember dancing with Jesus,

Medusa bestowed shrooms to feed us

Click three times these ruby slippers,

you’re down and out, my demons whisper

Revelers vanished, leaving lonely spaces

sleep on the beach in secret places

All that rocked, into the wild wee hours

are now muted ghosts of superpowers

Spiderman, Batman and Wonder Woman too,

shaped this festival into my dream come true

I held on for dear life to ten days of elation,

one human family is Key West jubilation

Click three times these crimson shoes,

make me forget the park bench blues

Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion too,

gone from my life like yesterday’s news

All that loved costume and my spectacular guise

will never know it as a discarded surprise

Frock of feathers, near-naked nethers

a stranger’s trash became my treasure

So momentous our gathering, so transient my smile

art of a vagrant ‘til the clock doth chime

Click three times these scarlet sandals

reality too raw for me to handle

Merrymakers made plentiful food

now back to rations to dampen my mood

All that embraced forty parties of themes

reinvented themselves by theatrical means

Togas and spikes, zombies and bikes

I was mesmerized so by the incredible sights

Come one, come all; entertain my senses

the lens captured others; down my defenses

Click three times my wine drenched heels

the parade is over, upright my shield

Twelve months to go for October nirvana

surrounded by roosters and my pet iguana

All that descended on the island painted

will retreat to a world oh so tainted

Rush hour rat race, keep up the pace

countdown to return to utopian place

How magnificent --- we imagined together!

‘Twas a home without walls, my fantasy forever.