Flight of the Roller-Coaster

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(Old Sunnyside Beach, Toronto)

Once more around should do it, the man confided ...

and sure enough, when the roller-coaster reached the peakof the giant curve above me, shrill screech of its wheelsalmost drowned out by the shriller cries of its riders --

instead of the dip, then the plunge with its landslide of screams,it rose in the air like a movieland magic carpet, some wonderful bird,

and without fuss or fanfare swooped slowly above the amusement-park,over Spook's Castle, ice-cream booths, shooting-gallery;then losing no height made the last yards across the beach,where its brakeman cucumber-cool in the last seat solemnly saluteda lady about to change to her bathing suit:

ending up, as many witnesses reported later,heading leisurely out above the blue lake water,to disappear all too soon behind a low-flying flight of clouds.

© Souster Raymond