A Boy’s Amusement Park Dream

With a bumper car angel

Photo by Mark Tulin

I loved the bumper-car angel
in a silver and red vehicle.
She was crazy beautiful,
a maniac behind the wheel,
not afraid to collide
with a Sunday driver
or a kid twice her size.

I tailgated her,
ignoring my friends
who tried to rock me
out of my insanity
with a fender bender,
and a head-on slam.

My bumper car angel
drove like a mini Danica Patrick,
static electricity everywhere,
love sparks, making my heart
jump start.

A lovestruck boy
sideswiped a beautiful girl,
but my advances were ignored,
instead, she depressed
the pedal — and disappeared
at lightning speed.

Love can blindside you.
It can go fast or slow.
Take sharp turns.
Sometimes it feels like
a passionate embrace,
when force meets energy,
other times, a chance opportunity
gone awry.