Entry #1
Summers Like Those by debinoresu

Thinking back, in my youth
I never realized we had less
and what we couldn't afford to do,
because I was raised to make the best
out of the company I belonged to.

Most memorable were summer nights,
where stars and sparklers,
roasting marshmallows and bonfires,
served as our only lights.
I danced around the sparks and embers,
singing mindless words I can't quite remember.

My mother, though she coddled me,
endowed a sparkler, carefully
with tiny hands gripped down the rod
held far away, I stared and awed.

The sparkler dropped, my attention taken
by an outlying illumination
when it was gone, another gleamed
as i surveyed, more swarmed and teemed.
A mason jar clutched in my grasp,
the fireflies were caught and capped.

My mother, then, she guided me
unscrew the lid and set them free.
I watched as they poured out in streams
and blended with the starry sea.

A sweet smell then turned my head,
roasted marshmallows, I begged to be fed
I fussed and huffed as it cooled off
but my restlessness was simply met with a scoff
and then, finally, my patience delivered
a gooey warm s'more was mine to devour

a sticky mess of my hands and face,
graham cracker crumbs twined in dress lace.
mom wipes my hands and cleans off my mouth,
but my outfit's a loss that long since went south.
With a throwaway dress and my brother in tow,
we rolled down the hill with shrieks of pure joy

It'd gotten late, and I'd gotten tired
exhausted from the excitement transpired.
Streaks of light guiding the car down the road,
head against seat belt, my blinking slowed,
eyelids gone heavy, they came to a close.

Oh, how I miss having summers like those.

Entry #1

Entry #2
Another Summer by megumin

In the balmy nights of summer,
Faintly hear the sounds of laughter.
Follow the trail of joy and discover,
A fair filled with lights and colour.

Carousels and bumper cars,
Candy and cake and night bazaars.
Prizes await all in the stalls,
Join in the games, raffles and more.

In the balmy nights of summer,
Watch the fireworks in wonder.
Laugh or cry or shout in the fair,
Dance and jump without a care.

And as the sun rises -
The music fades, the lights wane.
As magically as it came, as swift it went.
The laughter died down to a murmur,
Summer no longer.

In the last few nights of summer,
I dreamt of all things magical.

Entry #2

Entry #3
Calm Waves by Yonkorin

A child's wish bottled
in the ocean's calm waves
outside the forest

Night cicada sounds
surrounded by fireflies.
cricket orchestra.

The warm sensation,
as I walk on white sand grounds
of timeless beauty.

Filigree nature,
the richness in florescence -
a heart's somersault.

Dewdrops in making,
I see the many colors
and lie in the grass.

Entry #3

Entry #4
A Summer Night Quest for the Perfect Fair Fare by The Pennifer

Where are you going my lovely girl? -- "I'm going to the fair"
Why that is fine, you shall have fun, and what shall you do there?
"I seek to find the fairest fare - a food that is sublime"
So what exactly is this food you search for at this time?

"Ah, well, let me tell about it, it's a most intriguing tale
Of a morsel so delightful that it makes all others pale
It is sweet and light and crispy and the taste is heaven sent
And I know if I can find it I will be at last content"

Please tell me more, my dearie, for I see your mind is set,
And what's it's name, my sweet girl, for you haven't told me yet?
"The name is most perplexing. It is called an Elephant Ear
And though it seems misleading, it's taste is without peer"

An elephant ear!? My silly girl! But surely you must jest
"I kid you not, dear mother, It is just as I've expressed!
It is Fair food at its finest and it's been described just so;
A cinnamon dusted sugar treat of crispy deep fried dough."
...................................

So I'm off to seek my treasure and will joyfully make my start
By wending with great pleasure through the trail of vendor carts.
The food is so enticing. The aromas tantalize.
(The smell of frying onions could distract me from my prize.)

The twinkling Fair pavilions with their lights are blazing bright
And the Ferris wheel illuminates the dark blue summer night
I will check them all out later but for now I'm mission bound
I wont seek out these other joys until my prize is found.

And there at last I see it. On the corner on my right
The marquis lights are dazzling spelling out my hearts delight.
"Elephant Ears " the lettering in blazing white on red!
There is only a small lineup and I hurry on ahead.

The counter girl is laughing as she tends to every buyer
She is surely not a stranger to this kind of keen desire
She hands it to me smiling and I grasp my Elephant Ear!
Then I find a little table set conveniently near.

I gaze at it in pleasure, at its fragrant warm perfection
Then I take a bite of heaven from this wondrous Fair confection.
There's nothing left but crumbs now as I rise up from my seat
I sigh with sweet contentment, with my appetite replete.

I am free to further wander now. Take in the sounds and sights
The warm Fair air reverberates with music in the night
I find some neon glow sticks that I wear with childish pride
As I mingle with the happy crowd I'm deeply satisfied.

Entry #4

Entry #5
A Summer's Night by Nightmares

A warm breeze drifts though the air,
Carrying with it, a sense of new hope.
The sun wraps you up in a blanket of warmth to wear,
As you watch the skys above turn crimson and pink.
The sun sets low, almost seeming to wink,
But remains, not wanting to leave in a hast.
You think about about the past days,
And the nights you spent inside, a waste

You glance up for a while,
Focusing on the red bleeding across the sky,
And the bright pink stretching for a mile.
Far behind you, the nighttime blue creeps up,
And you imagine the sky as a fallen paint cup.
The darkness patiently waits, as the warmth of the colours does finally fade,
The edge of the golden sun disappearing,
Leaving behind the wonderful scene it had made.

Entry #5

Entry #6
Magic in a Summer's Sky by Aronthaer

Fireworks, they crack and shimmer,
All around I watch them glimmer
Bursting forth in glittering hues,
Reds and greens, pinks and blues.
Glimm'ring light, it paints the heavens,
And something in the magic beckons,
And glorious light, it shimmers down,
Illuminating all around.
Color splash where once was black,
It fades away, and then comes back.
And something in the echoing crack
puts my heart at ease.

I look around and see the lights,
Of a fair on a summer's night,
I see the people rushing by,
Or gazing up upon the sky.
Their face, lit with the light of stars,
Shows joy and pain, love and scars,
Parents hold their children close,
As they marvel at the celestial shows.
I captured this moment in my heart,
and can describe it, not in part,
but in the whole, and this is why,
there's magic in a summer's sky.

Entry #6

Entry #7
Catch by pandapples

Boxed in with little room to breathe.
Bustling bodies running past without a care.
Sitting close, shoulder to shoulder, knee to knee.
Pick me? I'll come with you anywhere.

Bright lights and colorful signs.
I don't cost much... only a dime.
Waiting my turn in line,
But the other me was chosen this time.

As the night lingers on my load becomes free
I cannot see, but I feel the light
Another stops before us. Maybe just maybe
Maybe this one might?

"That one is so cute!"
"It has no eyes. It's creepy."
I stared back with empty eyes, mute.
Saddened, but smiled sheepishly.

A laugh cried out,
"That's why I like him!"
And without a doubt
Nickels were placed in.

The buzz of metal wrapped itself around me
One try, and I was free!

No more stuffed with stuffin'
Only stuffed with lovin'

Entry #7

Entry #8
Untitled by Crash

the night is tinged with twinkling lights
of stars and fireflies
they dance along the deepening blue
of quiet summer skies.
the air is rich with sweeter smells
of cakes and cotton candy
as we wade through the crashing waves
and let our feet get sandy.
the fair has come around again
and you all know we've been waiting
as the thought of losing my precious white feather
was really quite devastating.
if you listen closely, you will hear
cicadas buzzing among the trees
they're easy to find, but just beware,
as scorpions aren't such a breeze.
and some days, when the air feels heavy,
and the sun begins to wane,
you'll feel the droplets start to fall
of a cooling summer rain.
and when the clouds do finally fade,
the moon comes out of hiding,
you'll look up and see, to your delight
the shooting stars start gliding.
light streaming through the sky
amongst the fireworks that burst
in shades of red, and blue, and white
and each as magical as the first
but when it ends, and the night is over
and we curl up in our beds,
we can only hope that memories like this
always remain as luminous in our heads.
and although autumn comes upon us quick
and we wish that summer would stay
in the end, i guess it doesn't matter
because the fair is cancelled anyway.

Entry #8

Entry #9
Memories from the Fair by PinkStarburst

A faint chill in the air,
Early in this August night;
At a distance, I watch the fair,
As my feet begin to take flight

One moment, I'm earthbound,
The next I'm with the clouds;
My eyes lock with the fair
And they graze upon the crowds

Soon I'm right above the Ferris wheel,
The carts making a faint creak;
But that dreading sound is nothing
To the delightfully happy shrieks

Suddenly, I smell some cotton candy
And I follow its sugary scent;
In my mouth it feels like spider webs
Yet it was where my money was always spent

Then flashing lights catch my attention
A child is playing a carnival game;
Lost, of course, yet she's still had fun
When I was a child, I was the same...

All the memories flood back to me
While I begin to recall
Summer memories from my childhood
As I slowly begin to fall

Too soon, I have descended
But in the distance, I see the fair;
Sorry, kids, but when it comes to fun,
Tonight, you're going to have to share!

Entry #9

Entry #10
Letting Go by Griffon

When I was young, I caught specks of light in my hand
They blinked, lazy and slow, lighting up the cup of my palm
I was told they were fireflies
And I learned the lesson of letting go

When I was less young, I leaned on an oak tree
The summer heat lay heavy on my skin
Fireflies winking at me from a quiet night
And I thought of letting go

When I was grown, I left the circle of torch light
Walking through long grass, parting the humid air like a curtain
I caught a firefly in my hand, light ebbing and flowing through my fingers
And I discovered that I didn't want to let go

I wanted to stay here, in this moment
I wanted to hold my life, hold my world, like light in my palm
Stay in the soft shadows, stay where I never had to let go
But the light left my hand, to join it's kin

So again, I learned to let go

Entry #10

Entry #11
Wheel of Fate by mayorjoe

It must have been fate,
On that one summer day,
Things weren't that great,
Until you came my way.

The wheel came to a stop,
So I walked on and saw,
You, you made my jaw drop,
I was in awe.

I sat down, you smiled,
And then we started talking,
I felt like a child,
That had just started walking.

Nervous, yet delighted,
To be talking to you,
A spark was ignited,
Our friendship was true.

The wheel came to a stop,
So I walked off and saw,
You, you holding your hand out,
I was in awe.

We went through the fair,
Happy and together,
But I was unaware,
This couldn't last forever.

It must have been fate,
On that one summer day,
Things weren't that great,
"Why couldn't you stay?"

We lived for a while,
'Forever!' I thought.
But eventually you passed,
Leaving me distraught.

The wheel came to a stop,
So I walked on and saw,
You, you made my jaw drop,
I was in awe.

I sat down, you smiled,
And then we started talking,

Puzzled, I stressed, "I thought you were dead!"
"I'm alive in your heart, forever." You said.

Entry #11

Entry #12
Summer Love by painchri589

As winter settles, and spring dies down;
The night is silent, with a heavy air floating through
The sound of crying wolves, reminds me;
Why he left, where he is now
Now, he sleeps, lost until the next wave of light
The last time I saw him;
It was an eclipse of happiness
Streams of stars shine through the sky,
None quite as bright as him
His touch; a burning love
His love; passionate and bright
I am the silvery shine to his burning triumph
I am the cold darkness to his warming heart
All my love has been alone
Then it comes, a breath of dawn
I see him coming, I know now
It's my turn
I know, I will be okay
Every night, he dies to let me breathe
Come the break of dawn,
I fade to nothing
As dusk returns
My hope is found,
I know my place,
Here in this realm of darkness
I stay, until the cry of night dies down,
I will die until reborn into the night
He will take my place
Our love is so strong,
That each day, one of us must die
To let the other live

Entry #12