The Claw

Do you remember 

Fairgrounds in summer? 

Full of noisy teenagers laughing 

and flirting with each other, the motors of the crazy rides throwing everyone into hysterics of 

laughter or terror, every ride with strident music, and all the games of chance. “You could win 

your girl this giant teddy bear!!”   “Dunk the clown in frigid water for only a buck!”  And then there 

was The Claw. Probably called 

different names in different midways,  

but just as frustrating. The goal?  To get 

the prize -  some brightly colored little 

stuffed toy sitting inside a plexiglass 

case of multi-colored  plastic balls. Getting 

The Claw to grasp the toy and swing it to the 

chute….almost! That’s what writing is like: all 

those words with the most brilliant idea 

always just out of reach! But here I am 

again, putting my quarter in, believing 

that I will catch that it. But not tonight. 

I’ll try again tomorrow.

“If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.”

~ Margaret Atwood