I’m walking on sunshine,
slipping into the sparkling sea,
splashing the beach ball sun,
feeling warm and elated;
silk waters, as if in a womb
with plenty of room, coddle me.
dark waters, down deep;
the rays of the sun stroke my cheeks.
my feet dangle like jellyfish tentacles,
yet, as a human, I can become a raft,
drifting with the tides, tirelessly treading.
a ship comes along, another soul -
a stranger I might engage, but to kin,
I will release a wave, splash the sun
in their eyes, the ebb and flow of a
sunny kiss, and a rainstorm of bliss.
my fingertips like clouds, release
petrichor and plenipotentiary amusement.
a shark circles, in pretense; I sit
on a life preserver in the eddy;
I don’t want to come up for air.
"Angel Wings, Amusement Park Mouth"
Dark horses
aren’t necessarily angels
wrung out poets more like
unblessed prodigals
soaking in their own tears
spin sugared fairy-floss unrelentingly out
their dark sap, "Lost Woods" words,
and the ink no longer necessary
bleeds invisible
from their tap-dancing fingers
instead of dripping like blood
or honey off their
well-armoured tongues
and their messages
like murders of crows
fly out of their amusement park
mind instead of their mouth;
it's a private affair,
nobody really knows;
we sing our way home
on some bent kind of angel wings;
Dark horses
aren't necessarily angels -
the mind, authentic
is another thing...
Candide Diderot. ‘24
endless amusement
cat chasing same mouse teaser
on shoestring budget
AP: 1st place 2025
Living with you
is the saddest thing I recall
is living with my past
is living with my ghosts
is going back to the roots
of all what went wrong
choosing you my love
was the biggest mistake I've done.
And you seem so happy
and you seem so free
watching me falling
watching my grief
nothing seem to touch you
you are out of reach
living in your own island
in the middle of your lonely sea.
That's why living with you
is the saddest thing I recall
is crumbling everyday
a little bit more
is cutting my veins
with a rusty sword
and filming my bleeding self
for the amusement of the world.
Jessica
The rusted Ferris wheel, a skeletal hand,
Points to a sky it can no longer command.
Once, laughter echoed, joy on the breeze,
Now silence reigns, whispered by the trees.
The carousel horses, their paint chipped and worn,
Dream of merry-go-rounds, of days yet unborn.
Once, children squealed, clinging to their steeds,
Now shadows dance, where happy laughter bleeds.
The cotton candy stand, its windows cracked and dim,
Holds the ghost of sweetness, a forgotten whim.
Once, sugary clouds, a magical delight,
Now only dust motes, swirling in the light.
The roller coaster track, a metal serpent curled,
Whispers of thrills, a forgotten world.
Once, screams of delight, a dizzying race,
Now only rust and wind, in this silent space.
The park stands empty, a monument to time,
A reminder of moments, once so sublime.
The ghosts of laughter, echo in the breeze,
Whispering of memories, of happy, carefree days.
I Remember
I remember a time
When all was so bright
With bustling crowds
And neon lit nights
Covered wagon caterpillars
And bunnies of blue
Teacups that spun
You sat in them too
I remember the days
When scooters could fly
Pinball was king
And everything thrived
I remember the smells
Of hot dogs & beer
I remember it all
And wish it still there
Bill MacEachern
05/02/2022
Wind carries plastic bag
in air across yard
dogs go crazy
Land of laughs and cackles
An amusement park built to lighten any mood
Freed shackles
Falling down slopes
Chewing on bites of funny food
Lift hopes
You see
Life is not rude
Whee!
Land of laughs and cackles
Chewing on bites of funny food
Whee!
Zippily, zippity, I slip down
the slippery dip slide.
Zippity-doo-dah, slippily-dippity-do!
Suddenly and nippily, tipping
backwards to quicken the pace.
Snappily, I whippingly
swish right off the end of the slide.
I launch into space,
Fly high in the air, arms wildly flaying
like a rocket man on steroids, screaming.
I land with an awfully
painful jolt, snap and thump.
Woefully my aplomb undone,
not so spryly or lightly,
right on my backside.
Let us go to Amusement Parks
To lay new sorrows on their feet:
With sighs show sorrows’ tiger marks
And have them make sad stories sweet…
Let us go to Amusement Parks
For more exciting ways to greet
Keep asked appointment with the Clarkes
And dare to Melancholy beat…
Let us go to Amusement Parks
To streaming tears finally dry,
Like clashing wires let out sparks
Though pockets they might at last dry…
Let us go to Amusement Parks
To loved Jamborees of old try:
Happy Dogs imitate their barks
While chefs of the parks our fish fry!
Where one goes to change one’s dull face,
Catching up try in the fun’s race:
Of sad worries leave no big trace;
See how he might quicken heart’s pace…
High Blood Pressure some kind of shark -
We all need an Amusement Park:
The best: a non-stop until dark
When ears start to pick a dog’s bark.
Musician for you with soft voice
But you could say “Actors” my choice.
The main thing: to often rejoice
With Dennis, Amis, Franca and Joyce…
Don’t be surprised: a spitting contest
By kids styling as Snakes for test,
Excused ‘The Dirty Game of Spitting
As part of spoiling them a little…
But mainly families spend cash,
Which gets sweeter as it gets rash
“Mummy, I need sweet lollipop.”
And Mummy their sellers would stop…
To the rest children like it more
And it use to their parents score:
A pair that shuns it an eyesore;
Would others join to say they’re pen…
You tell folks Amusement Park helps,
Warmer makes one from the Cold Alps…
but a collection of slim syllables which became monolinear
to keep the vocabulary from becoming even skinnier
no matter what is written, experienced or elegantly lied
existence flows toward eternity for change will not be denied
trying not to get lost in depth of individual helplessness
prime numbers and beings stand entirely on their own prerequisites
denial that existence must be about each species improvement
would deeply flawed gods create humans simply for their own amusement?
where things choose to correspond to individual dependencies
hard to shed the burdens of our ancestors' habits and tendencies
written history becomes polluted, diluted, often obscured
all remembrance soon fades, despite how robust or heavily insured
human lives are molded by the severity of challenges endured
Time spent wonderment
Ferociously amusing
Absorbed all day into surroundings
Screaming gayly
Roller coaster up and down
Up and down
Spider ride round and round
Round and round
COTTON CANDY HEART ATTACKS
A forsaken theme park, once a magic place
It’s hay day in the sixties, quaint and pretty
To go there now you won’t find a friendly face
Strange outcasts on the outskirts of the city
Rumor's fly with grave warnings of fallen grace
Chase you with a smile, sinister and gritty
Guarded with a shotgun, and it’s oh so grand
Doors locked, eyes open. Welcome to Leisure Land!
I rode the monster at the amusement park
With some trepidation I locked in my seat,
Took deep breaths while starting to embark
And, thought about lying to others how neat.
A steep climb upward enhanced my anxiety
I rode the monster at the amusement park,
As we crested the top, it challenged my piety
With a jerk, it earned its moniker trademark.
Just over the crest I had a new second spark
Of regret that I had ever mounted this beast
I rode the monster at the amusement park
No one could ever call me a coward, at least!
From that point on, I can’t remember a thing
Except the screams, the rush of air, a stark
Unabated terror, a stomach-in-mouth feeling
I rode the monster at the amusement park.
Written August 16, 2022
Sub Categories
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.