---

Tom Painting

Old Growth

The Dentzel Carousel is restored and open to the public. The wooden horses sport fresh paint—chocolates, aquas, smoky browns and pastel reds— as they prance or pose in full gallop, trimmed with bright reins, garlands and halters. The Wurlitzer Military Band Organ stands decommissioned, its paper rolls replaced by hidden electronics, although the same melody plays: “Kiss Me Again.” The horses circle, the gears roll on, as if nothing has changed. But those of us old enough to remember can’t be deceived: The extended arm that once offered up a brass ring is missing. It’s an issue of liability. In today’s world, there is a limit on fun.

crosscut
storylines
all around

---

About the Author

Tom Painting teaches junior high at the Paideia School in Atlanta, Georgia. Since 2000, his students have had winning haiku in the Nicholas Virgilio Memorial Haiku Contest. His own work has been widely published and anthologized.