the saturday of thanksgiving break

the dirt parking lot seems full as we pull up

plastic lemonade cups litter the ground

the sun is still out

the carnival lights warming up

i put my car into park

i finish the rest of my iced coffee

you hand me your half-empty iced coffee

i drink that too

my fingers and ears freeze up 

my heart flutters

outside of the car you warm me with a side hug

my heart still flutters

walking toward the ticket booth

your profile says 

"excited, goal-oriented, calm in a surface-level kind of way"

how beautiful

you outpace me a little

i gladly trail behind

you pay for the most economical package:

unlimited rides

we start at the freak show

it has no line

a grandmother and granddaughter sit in the stands

facing an empty stage

i walk up to a cage

i begin sentimental conversation with the bearded lady

the bearded lady, sitting on a barrel

bearded contemplative cigarette drags

bearded avoiding eye contact
bearded
saying nothing

your arms wrap around my waist from behind

you place your chin on my shoulder

you mention the ferris wheel 

i say, “when it’s dark out.”

outside, the sun hides behind the attractions

the cold air of past month remains

you take my hoodie

my bones feel too close to the surface of my skin

i feel too translucent 

i feel cold

nothing bothers me

we walk through the haunted house

we laugh at the 42 inch height requirement

i run into a mirror 

you laugh some more

we lap around the house ten times, racing

"by the way, do you know the joys of being alone?"

outside, dark, a little disoriented

buy a funnel cake for six dollars

eat three quarters of it 

eat powdered sugar off the paper plate with licked fingers

standing side to side

scanning our surroundings

the ferris wheel - a white light 

glowing around its edge

red and blue and green lights

tessellating in its center

we flash our wristbands to the doorman

i jump over the waist-height plastic door

you open it, making sure it closes behind

metal gears struggle back to life

lights of the carnival shine below

faces reflect the lights to our eyes

they seem new and interesting and discernible
and red and blue and green

our seat traveling upward

we share warmth as the wind picks up

the ride stops at the peak