by Mahogany L. Browne

My daughter had yet to conquer the wooden monster
Who creaks beneath our footpath with a wheezed welcome 

We climb onto the man-made terrain  
Daughter, a big girl now, demands her own seat 

Her dutiful parents sit behind her, anxious 
Mom looks over the banister & sends a prayer to the upper realm  

Let us conquer this ravenous beast with our fists full of its fur 
Let us conquer this fear that growls in our stomachs  

The machine churns 
The sky’s mouth opens wide in surprise 

The pelicans caw at the Cyclone spectacle
My daughter’s eyes become a small pair of brown horizons 

Her scream hits the air like a clang 
Cyclone responds with a gritty gnash 

Our bodies dip & dive like the pelicans’ merciless hunt  
This is the nature of a rollercoaster named after a force of nature 

Our fitful joy laughter falls & sparkle from the sand below, look! 
A gown of our sequin memories litter Coney Island’s living room floor 

Poem copyright 2025 by Mahogany L. Browne. All rights reserved.

See other poems from Mahogany L. Browne debuted on The Fight & The Fiddle: “I fell,” and “Ain’t Stuntin’ Them.”

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Read more in this issue: Interview | Critical Essay | Writing Prompt