He Reeled Me In
Copyright (c) 2006 John Christopher Haddox and Perfer's Own Publishing

 

Did that nose come with the glasses, that barker said to me

I pulled my kids real close and I walked on by

Then I got jacked up on funnel cakes and said let’s go and see

If your old man still has an arm and has an eye

 

Oh, Lord he got me—he reeled me in

He cast that bait right in front of me, and then

He watched me make a pass, then he watched me circle round again

Then he set that hook—and he reeled me in

 

He smiled when he saw me coming and said let’s make a deal

You buy six balls, I’ll throw in four, that’ll make it ten

Then he held up this big panda bear and he looked right at my kids

And said with balls like your dad’s got, how can he not win

 

Well I grabbed my balls and I cleared my throat , made a little  space

I wound up real big and let that first one fly

And my daughter stared crying, and my son just hid his face  

When the last one, like the first nine, came up dry

 

And that carnie feigned some sympathy, offered this advice

Man, it helps to aim for what you’re trying to hit

Then his lips curled into an evil grin, and he knew he’d caught me twice

When I peeled three more twenties from my clip

 

Now up and down the midway they were watching one and all

And an eerie silence settled on the place

But I focused like a laser and on every target saw

A picture of that carnies smirking face

 

And I finally threw a money ball and that bear was mine to take   

My kids were proud to call me dad again

But the wife was none too happy when learned I’d paid that snake

Eighty bucks when I coulda’ just bought us two for ten