First Prize Poem by Dónall Dempsey

We staggered from stall to stall
exulting in our haul

festooned with prizes
dangling about us

melting 99’s
making our fingers sticky.

Pop! PoP! POP! there goes another!
Tin cans... shot down... one... after another

Coconuts are shy of us
falling all over the place.

The night is only laughter and lights
and carousel music.

We win another panda to go with the other panda we won.

Giant pandas wrestle with us
as we wrestle with giant pandas.

This success is all too much
we can hardly carry it.

Pink candyfloss gets in our hair.

Our hearts beating
like goldfish

in their plastic bag
of a goldfish bowl.

Distorted in the mirrors
flushed with success not recognising our selves

...everything we hit: falls down!

We set up our own stall
giving away free...our night’s pickings

people cheering
as we kiss.