Roller Coaster

We pay before we go, sit
excited in the carriage
- holding hands perhaps.
In the slow ascent,
there may be kissing.
At the top -screams and laughter.
If we open our eyes,
we can promise ourselves the world.
In the troughs, the headlong rush
stretches the happiness
from our faces.
Our wide-open eyes leak
tears, still streaming
when the ride is over.