In August they appear
shimmering in the highway haze.
Metal caravans refracting the sun.
They set up in plain view.
In parking lots or
the rented dirt of fair grounds.
By nightfall they’re up,
red lights running,
the kind of cheap attraction
built to go up as quickly as it comes down.
The crowds wander in
looking for a late night thrill.
They wait in long lines
for the chance to take their turn,
to lose their breath
in that slow grind
Up up up to the top
They pay a heavy price
for that moment of weightlessness,
They forget their places on earth
in that second of being suspended,
before plunging back down to the ground.
In the morning there is
nothing left but trash.
Empty containers and paper wrappers
used then discarded.
Things that once held a purpose,
thrown away for somebody else
to eventually have to pick back up.
Such a complex and vivid scene painted with so few words. Nice. And a punchy observation of the human condition at the end, the emptiness and selfishness of cheap, ephemeral pursuits. Took me a few pensive readings for it to sink in. But once it did, it was powerful. Cool rollercoaster gif too, by the way.
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Thanks James! I walked by a carnival in a mall parking lot and it got me thinking. 🙂 thanks for reading!
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Another brilliant poem….love the ending!
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thanks Jones. I thought you’d like that existential ending.
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I love the correlation here. A vivid picture of reckless selfishness amongst ourselves. Excellent!
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