Drawn Together

a few swift turns of an artist's hand and 'voila!'

Down the midway we strode,
Father and daughter
Hand-in-hand
Midway between
Adventure and adventure.
I carried two big stuffed animals
Under one arm,
And forty-three sweat dampened dollars
In my shorts pockets.
"What do you want to do now daddy?"
"I don't know, what do you want to do?"
"Anything will be fun
If it's with you."

Between guys selling
Cheap reproduction concert shirts
And bright painted straw hats
Was a booth with
Tacked up caricatures
Of men with big noses
And gap-toothed children
Smiling at the world strolling by.

"Daddy can we get our pictures done."
"Oh, yeah, not too much fun."
"Please, Please. It's only 15 dollars."
"I guess it can't hurt."
Quick deft pencil strokes
Made a mockery of my hair,
But made my daughter and I
A beautiful pair of matching smiles.
We were drawn together
By the excitement
Of being drawn together.