All in a Single Ride – Poem

My breath is a rollercoaster. 
Do not stand on the side or queue lines, enter. 

The inhale is the rising ramp;
The clanking as the body hums.
The trap is set, up to the clouds, but we must hold before the fall. 

Hold before the fall.

We were near the heavens for a moment. There were tears amongst the laughter. 
Play prevailed upon a crashing sea.
It's not simple, you know, the engineering of a Disney swing. 
But now the memory of you and me is no longer all I need. 

Then, the exhale. The tension is released. 
The breathing cart zooms into a Death Valley of wooden beams.   

Tears fly forward with a thrash. Little insults pour into cracks, but the ride is much too fast.
Catapulted down into darkness for a re-emergence like the moon after dusk. Up and down, my breath is caught, and I am choking! Night, dawn, noon, dusk…. Elongated destructive thoughts…
When the breaks ease the soul to a stop. 

I travel such a long distance, to simply return to the entrance. 

A deep breath, under a spell of puffy red eyes.
Healing from imperfections, fallen expectations, 
and even more amazing journeys of a full life. 

Rising into pitfalls and surviving one day at a time.  
I take a deep breath and enjoy the ride.

"All in a Single Ride" Poem and Photo by: Erickson