Measuring Up
“You’re not old enough to be in that poem”
I told my poet friend Ron
who wrote the self-appraised line
“52 year-old meat, hairy, leaning on my last leg”
Then I remembered the Turnpike Cars
under the Roller Coaster at Paragon Park
“You’re not big enough to go on that ride”
I was told the first time I saw them
But I wanted the freedom
of a blue finned sports car
riding with the top down
in a grown-up’s town
I spent my bus fare on a slice of pizza
walked home in pink flip flops that were broken
By the time I was tall enough to ride the Turnpike Cars
(renamed the Indy 500) I thought it was a baby ride
I moved on to the gravity-defying Rotor
being pinned to the wall and turning upside down
or riding with friends in the Kooky Castle
with threats of kissing in the dark
At first I used the height chart as an excuse
for not riding Paragon’s Roller Coaster
the Godzilla giant structure that defined our town
and had horror movie screams coming from it
Later, I was brave enough to tell the truth
I didn’t have the courage to ride it
By the time it was moved to Six Flags
and renamed The Wild One
I considered it a fool’s ride
– Colleen Redman / Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads – Read more about Paragon Park in Hull, MA, which was torn down in the mid ’80s HERE.
July 21st, 2015 5:25 am
DELIGHTFUL!
July 21st, 2015 8:42 am
Such a courageous & heartwarming poem 🙂
Loved it!
Lots of love,
Sanaa
July 21st, 2015 10:14 am
a confessional that rings true…
July 21st, 2015 3:59 pm
Been there myself, this was an enjoyable read.
July 22nd, 2015 4:23 am
this inspired me to tell ‘truths’
nicely, youthfully written
gracias for sharing
July 22nd, 2015 6:50 am
Love this so much! It’s wonderful. I’ve made a few attempts at amusement park poems and it is not so easy. You certainly make it look easy! Terrific.
July 22nd, 2015 8:22 am
These are attractions to be enjoyed but they turned out to be destructive monsters in that split second. It just needs one accident to happen to affect all the other rides. Great lines Colleen!
Hank
July 22nd, 2015 11:17 pm
[…] 1. Imagine if you had to measure your height against an amusement park ride chart to see if you were tall enough to read THIS poem. […]
July 23rd, 2015 12:57 am
I am not a fan of amusement park rides. I am not sure I could write a poem about them. You did a wonderful job. One person’s measuring up is another’s fear. 🙂
July 23rd, 2015 10:35 am
It’s not a poem about an amusement park as much as it’s a poem about me, measuring up. The amusement park is more the setting/metaphor and a meaningful part of my “growing up.”
July 23rd, 2015 12:53 pm
That poem really hit chords in me – thanks.
July 23rd, 2015 3:31 pm
I admire those who look mostly forward, given my generally rear-view approach (there being, at 64, so much more behind me than ahead). Wherever one might look, though, it’s best to remain clear-sighted–and clearly you do, if this fine work is any measure.
Thanks for the nod, CR. You rock.