Derail

when i was a boy
a hundred yesterdays ago
from my father's lap
i would pretend to drive

and at the carnival, i would sit
in the balloon coloured boats
and turn and turn the half moon wheel
but only go round in circles

so off to the merry go round!
where all the pretty ponies grinned
i was so sure they could gallop me off
to an old west adventure
cross painted deserts
jump the fence i couldn't
but they only bobbed up and down
in a zombie march

once, at a theme park deep in the woods
they had a real train, or so it seemed
and the engineer wore a hat
just like casey jones!
but even the tame geese
mocked our two dollar circle

i'm older now and trapped in the knowing
that i still don't drive where i'd like
the ponies won't jump
and that fucking train
just won't derail