Brass Class, By Brian37 (AKA Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @Brianrrs37 on Twitter)

Secretariat the stationary chariot
Goes up an down the pole
Circus colored horses
Circle with no goal

Hynde sight is the carousel
Not in pocket but to grab for
If you succeed a ride of one more
The richest ring the legend’s lore

Throw it in the mouth of a clown
If you are riding
On the merry go round
Not many today are ever found
(end)

If you have ever heard “reach for the brass ring”, that means shooting for a better or wealthier life. There is a very literal history to that phrase. Not many merry go rounds today have them. But in the early days the owners of merry go rounds had a device that would dispense brass rings, at the outside parameter of the carousel and if you could grab one as the merry go round was in motion before the ride ended, you got another free ride. Most of the time though, you would have to throw it into a circle at the center of the ride as you revolved around the center. Designed to be difficult if not impossible but enticing enough to get people to pay for more rides to get that free ride.

Chrissie Hynde is the lead singer of the band the Pretenders and she had a song called “Brass In Pocket”.

Secretariat was a famous horse won the “Triple Crown”, which consists of the Belmont, Preakness and Kentucky Derby.