Carnival Apples
In Mobile there are apples,
Entire wheelbarrows filled
With countless apples,
Globes and spheres,
Crimson and heavy
Fortified with a core
With mahogany seeds.
Pick a caramel-coating, a candy-coating.
Take two home to savor
During the next frigid night.
Twice-heated hot dogs,
Stiff pink cotton candy,
Over-popped popcorn
Dripping with butter substitute
Every kernel bearing a sprinkling
Of table salt or celery salt
To toss like wrappers
Underneath the boots of
Apple-chompin’, Ferris Wheel-lovin’ folks
countin’ “one, two, three, four” in the square.