The carnival of shadows

Beneath the town where lanterns gleam,  
There stirs a world of midnight dream.  
A carnival wakes when clocks strike one,  
Its rides and games are never done.  

The Ferris wheel spins with ghostly cheer,  
Whispers of laughter tickle the ear.  
Jugglers toss stars instead of balls,  
Echoes of music haunt the stalls.  

Cotton candy clouds drift by,  
Painted ponies learn to fly.  
The mirrors grin with secret faces,  
Showing futures, swapping places.  

A ringmaster clad in velvet night,  
Commands the sparks, commands the light.  
“Step right up, the show’s begun—  
A thousand tales for everyone!”  

Children of dreams, adults of lore,  
All find wonders they’ve never before.  
But when the dawn begins to creep,  
The carnival folds itself to sleep.  

And those who wandered through its maze,  
Wake with a smile for endless days.  
For shadows dance where stories grow,  
And midnight’s carnival steals the show.