Roller Coaster Poem by Jef L33

I don't like roller coasters. But every fair has one. Its always some large dragon of a thing, twisting and winding its way in the center of the park. The sound of the tracks roaring overhead, a wave of screams that comes and goes like the wind. And in the end, it comes to a stop, while everyone stumbles out drained and disoriented.
But for that brief moment, as I catch a glimpse of them all, screaming at the top of their lungs. I want to be like that. I want to be like them. Happy.
So I go to the back of the line that seems to stretch further than the ride itself. And wait. One thing I don't like is the waiting. Nothing to do but to stare at the front of the line, as happy couples, friends, and family all excitedly get inside. Nothing to do but wait. Standing in the hot sun, as a brief shadow passes overhead, follow by a wind of screams.
After an eternity of waiting, it's finally my turn. The seats smell of freshly wiped vomit, the buckle always feels just a little too loose, and before I know it, the cart begins to move.
Click. Click. Click. Slowly rising higher and higher. A part of me wishes it would just go on clicking upward forever. but then i see the top of the peak, and the dread begins to fill me. I look out at the park and see a boy chasing pigeons. click, click, click, I see kids laughing as they go around the merry-go-round. click, click, click. A young boy holds a girls hand as they walk slowly through the park. click, click, click. Higher and Higher, I even catch a teenage couple making out behind a popcorn stand. Then the clicking stops.
The cart pauses for a moment, and I stare down at the rest of the ride. Full of ups and downs, twist and turns, and even a few loop de loops. Before I can even think about going back, I begin to fall.
Everything begins to pass by me in a blur. As I catch glimpses of a pregnant lady, a mother pushing a stroller, a kid crying alone. A glimpse of a couple arguing, a kid riding on the shoulder of his dad, and old couple sitting on a bench.
Then before I know it. The ride begins to slow. slower and slower, as we pull into a tunnel and slowly begin to stop. The end of the ride. The attendant helps me out of the straps, as everyone begins to go on with the rest of their lives.
The exhilaration is gone, and my steps are slow. But for the briefest of moments I was scared, frightened, and happy to be alive. I walk towards the exit. And look back. Maybe roller coasters aren't so bad.