thought the park would help,
really thought it would.
seeing the birds,
the trees,
the colors in the sky
and the light bouncing off the lake.
but, I saw past it,
saw the highway
running along the green's edge.

Emptying one’s wallet for the family fee,
Joining in linear solidarity with the crowd,
Dripping profusely under the blazing sun,
Creeping forward as if slower than a snail.

Arriving at the moving beast’s head,
Receiving envious glances from the tail,
Stepping boldly forth at last,
Following instructions.

Strapping oneself into place,
Shooting forward like a rocket into space,
Spinning endlessly until quite dizzy,
Screaming with sheer delight and fear.

Dropping back to earth,
Speeding faster than a thought,
Leaving stomach far behind,
Enjoying the absurdity of its apparent disappearance.

Exhilarating, yet much too short,
Seeking to repeat the thrill,
Joining the waiting horde,
Staring impatiently from the queue’s tail.

Excitement building with height
shouts of joy escape laughing lips
a slight pause
to look down and get butterflies
that fly from your mouth
as you arch and fall
faster than gravity
clothes floating
threatening to catch flight
in the rushing wind
skin red from cold air
terror and exhilaration rein
laughing and screaming
forgetting the world
as the wind
tears away
all thoughts
as fingers brush the sky
adrenaline

On that misty day we were walking through the traffic
Standing at the cross road just waiting
For the light to turn green

We walked and walked and saw a baby
I waved at him, he smiled back at me

We were talking with our Mcflurries on our knees
Sometimes I just buried my face in it pretend I was eating
I said something funny
You cracked up so much
Then you stared at me
I went back to eating

Mcflurries are melting so I gotta hurry
But I see that you're still staring at me
With a grin
I said What?You said Nothing!

We walked and walked and sat on a bench
Some old people were doing Tai-chi
We made out but don't want them to notice
I looked you in the eyes, you asked what?I said Nothing.

You asked me not to write you in my poems
But since I still have some Mcflurry left
Would you wanna share it?

When your hair's like a wig
and all you hear is a pig

When you own a woolly coat
and your best friend's a goat

When the ducks are quacking
and your visitors are lacking

When you want a little fun
but there's little space to run

When your belly's not full
and your day's very dull

When the rain is pouring
and nibbling grass gets boring

When your field's too muddy
and you're fighting with your buddy

When your life's nearly spent
and you don't know where it went

You're an alpaca in a park

Covered by blanket of expanding space
  with pricked holes allowing blue white
The air is bulked from being water laced
  though flora aren’t lacking by sight!

The coyish love wink through a shaded sky
  is casting an ethereal glow
Daily life will outshine lunar delight  
  yet shan’t match the arduous show!

Two lovers linked by mirror hands in a bow
   as slow breaths morph bench to saddle
Hearts now become bucking riders in tow
  all below the street lamp idle!

Minnehaha Park is hot in the summer
Even by the water
Who knew it would be so hot
Even down by the water?
But all of it is hot

And there are acorns everywhere
Scattered on the ground
Below our butts as we try to sit
And have a little picnic
On a brightly checkered blanket
Between two tall trees
That tower above us
And grant us shade
While pelting acorns down
Into our cheese and crackers

And fancy rosé wine
Whatever that means
I thought wine was wine
But I guess they have personalities
Like people
Like couples
Some things pair well together
Like my crisp pineapple and cheap ******' pizza
Or your stinky blue cheese and weird cookie-like *******
Like us

And the cheese sits on a green marble slab
Elegant as ****
Because that's just who you are
But that marble slab sits on top of a pizza box
Simple as ****
Because that's just who I am
And we pair well
On this hot *** summer day
While we drink rosé
And "I love you" is all we say
Because sometimes we don't have to say anything
We're okay without words
In the middle of a park
On a hot *** summer day

We spend one day together, in the park and now the sun reminds me of you.

It was 29 degrees and the sun still couldn’t match your brightness.
29 degrees and you were still the brightest star in my sky.  
I think back to my diary, when I told her we would forge a picnic from the empty living room and yet here we are.

The cream carpet, now green grass and my heart melts in your hands.
Sizzling air beats down on our pale skin as my heart beats a mile a minute.
Sometimes I like to play pretend.

Cast myself as the role of your love interest.
So during my game I was shocked.

When we step foot in your local corner store, when the cashier muttered a “you too, together”
I thought I’d alternated reality.

Or at least I did for that second and a half.
Before you fumbled over your words and tried to find the ones that would break my heart the least.
You settled on she’s out of my league, you joked about it once we’ve left.
Then I pretended again.

I cast myself as your laid back friend,
As the girl who has better things to think about then a cashier wrong assumptions.
Reality didn’t shift this time.

— p.d.e