mandag den 9. februar 2026

Poetry Monday :: Carousel

Poetry Monday - what's that? It is a blogging game, that Mimi of Messymimi's Meanderings and I have taken over the hosting duties, mostly the supplying of the prompts - only temporarily we hope - while Diane at On the Border is taking a break for health and relaxation, travelling the world with her husband as far as we can tell.  We just hope she's going to take back over once she returns home.

The prompts now come from 365 Days of Drawing Prompts and other Arts group. This is a Facebook group with a prompt for each day of the year, but no worries, the prompts will still be here and at Mimi's blog.

Today's prompt is:
Carousel

Whenever I hear "carousel"
I get me s small dizzy spell.
Was he French, or Italian,
and who is the man
who called it a MERRY-go-round?

It stems from the jousting with lances
and spears, and horses that prances.
Then came the mechanic
that causes me panic.
I just want to stay on firm ground!


And one more thing. I vividly remember a song from my childhood/youth about a carousel. But finding anything concerning Danish music from the 1970es and 1980es is neigh on impossible. There's a big, black wall of nothing on the 'net. only sometimes I see other people asking or searching for the same songs.

🎠


Mandagsdigtet er en blogleg, som Mimi fra Messymimi's Meanderings og jeg har overtaget - midlertidigt! - fra Diane, der slapper af og rejser verden rundt med sin mand. Vi håber hun er parat til at tage over igen, når hun kommer hjem.
     Stikordene kommer nu  fra
365 Days of Drawing Prompts and other Arts. Det er en Facebook-gruppe, der udgiver et stikord til hver dag i året, men bare rolig, stikordene vil stadig være at finde både her og på Mimis blog.

Dagens stikord er:
En karrusel

Når jeg hører om en karrusel
tænker jeg altid: Nej vel
vil jeg ej. Jeg kan ikke lide
alt det der med drej.
Jeg løber min vej.

Men hvem har mon opfundet sådan en ting
der drejer og larmer og hvirvler omkring
Et underligt ord
er der også. Hvem ved
og kan gi' mig besked?

Karruseller stammer faktisk fra de gamle ridderturneringer, der også kaldtes Carousel.

Og en helt anden ting.
En Karrusel ... får mig til at tænke på en gammel dansktopschlager der vist nok hed sådan. Men det er næsten totalt umuligt at finde den slags på nettet. En streng copyright-lovgivning vedrørende noder og musik gør sit til at jeg ofte løber panden mod en mur og kun finder spredte citater fra andre, der søger den samme tekst. Denne gang er der ikke engang det.

Her er de stumper, jeg husker i tilfældig orden:



Man må holde fast, ellers går det galt;
Du bli'r snydt for turen som du har betalt,
rejs dig op og stil dig hen
på den sidste plads i køen igen:

En karrusel, hvad er dit liv?
Er det andet end et stort tivoli?
skæggede damer og dværgen og klovnen
en udråbers råben og publikums måben

Fru Fortuna er dog ofte lunefuld,
og den dag hun skifter sind,
får du mindre end du satte ind

En karrusel, du hænger på
tag en ekstra tur før alt går i stå

Han holder om dig, og han holder af dig,
og hjulene drejer - en karrusel

🎠

... og så fandt jeg sangen. Jeg må sige, at jeg faktisk er imponeret over min hukommelse. Den var på Dansktoppen EN uge i september 1972, og alligevel har jeg husket næsten hele teksten ordret. Rækkefølgen var ikke helt i top. Rettelser og tilføjelser er fremhævet med fedt:

Prøve lykkens hjul, vinde gods og guld,
Fru Fortuna er dog ofte lunefuld,
og den dag hun skifter sind,
får du mindre end du satte ind

    En karrusel, hvad er dit liv?
    Er det andet end et stort tivoli?
    skæggede damer og dværgen og klovnen
    en udråbers råben og publikums måben

    En karrusel, du hænger på
     tag en ekstra tur før alt går i stå
    Han holder om dig, og han holder af dig,
    og hjulene drejer - en karrusel

Du må holde fast, ellers går det galt;
Du bli'r snydt for turen som du har betalt,
rejs dig op og stil dig hen
på den sidste plads i køen igen.

    En karrusel, hvad er dit liv ...


Coming Themes  - - - - - - - -

taken from the 365 Days of Drawing Prompts and other Arts group.

Feb 9 Carousel
Feb 16 Plants with Berries
Feb 23 Doughnut
Mar 2 Breakfast in Bed
Mar 9 Meeting a Friend
Mar 16 Obsidian
Mar 23 Croissant
Mar 30 The Moon Tonight

10 kommentarer:

  1. I do enjoy a carousel ride, but it's been a long time. They'd look at my as if I am crazy trying to get on at my age with no children in tow.

    Would you be able to email me the prompts for the next few months? Or even the year? If not, it's okay, I just like to be prepared.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Dear Mimi, try looking in your spam filter. I have now sent them twice. Tell me if you do not find them, then I'll make a page, post whatever here on the blog ;)

      Yesterday I went gliding on the frozen pond in town. The kids found it OK and we had a small sliding competition ;) So if you love a merry-go-round, go for it!

      Slet
    2. OK; now clicking the word 'here' in the "Words for Wednesday
      & Poetry Monday" Gadget in my left side bar should open a page in a new tab with the prompts for the first half year of 2026. I hope this works.

      Slet
    3. ...and sorry if I sound a bit gruff. I was/am not. You're totally in the rigth asking for them. I understand wanting to be ahead! I was in a hurry and a bit miffed that the dang-blasted E-mail can't seem so work! You're not the first not getting my mail, and I was also missing some letters last week.

      Slet
  2. Where did my comment go? I remember saying in my family a carousel was called a "hurdy-gurdy" when we were little.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Somewhere in the Twisting Nether maybe ;) It never arrived here - I check the spam folder at least once a day.
      Hurdy-gurdy is a fun word! I associate it with music.

      Slet
  3. We use to have a place in town where even adults could ride the carousel. Wasn't as much fun plus it was inside. Just not the same as an outdoor one with all the other rides around. Was always a favorite of me and my sisters when little to go to the fair and ride a carousel. Great poem.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. I'm lucky enough to live in a place where everyone, even adults of all ages can ride the carousel if they like to.
      Thank you for commenting and liking my poem.

      Slet
  4. Hi - I'm visiting from IWSG - I loved your realistic take on the carousel. It's cool realism spoke to me.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Not so cool, me raking my brain to come up with a rhyme for carousel - tough word to rhyme with, but thanks!

      Slet

Jeg bliver altid glad for en kommentar, og prøver at svare på alle kommentarer .

I am grateful for all comments, and try to reply meaningfully to all of them.