there is
no more
bereft feeling
no more
hopeless sorrow
no more
barren land
than that moment
before bed
when you look over
at the emptiness
that consumes you
blow it a kiss
then stare
at the ceiling
for hours on end

a hand drawn
out of order sign
on the tilt a whirl
of destiny
the slowly rocking
ferris wheel car
stuck perpetually
at the top
looking down
upon the empty park
once filled
with laughter
now trash
lazily tumbles down
the vacant lanes

sitting there
clutching your lifetime pass
knowing
that it was as good
as it got
before you
were smart enough
to realize it as
the pack of feral dogs
snarl
with slobbering jaws
at the rusted
chain link fence
that will forever
bar your way
back to the joy
of innocence

amuse
become
bemused
become
abuse
become
another mile marker
on the long winding trails
that lead
to the cold plot
with nary a whisper
of the life lived
to fall six feet
under the spell
of eternity