Oh Carousel Poem by Janine Alyssa Navarro

Oh Carousel
You used to scare me
The fierce horses
Large elephants
Fading unicorns
Creaking tigers
Frightening lions
Rusting poles;
You were a circus
That revolved on a spot
I didn’t like circuses
I feared them

But as I watched you
From the outside
The blinking lights
Started to call me
I felt the wind
Push me towards you

I took a chance
Sat on a pony
Closing my eyes
I held on tightly
To the rusty pole
Slowly you began to move
I choked
Hoping I’d be ok
And then I felt the air
Race through my hair
Opening my eyes
The world was suddenly
A beautiful blur
I was free;
I was moving and free

Life looked so much better
From up here
From just here