Up, Down, and All Around

Mythical creature at Wonderland

Oh my, oh my, I need a hand

Welcome to the Hunger Games

I’m surrounded by giants, who will be to blame?

Towering above all is the Leviathan

Overlooking us is the Wonder Mountain

A new addition is the Yukon Striker

You want to fly? Visit Xtreme Skyflyer

But those are babies compared to what I’m facing

High speeds, high heights, and unexpected forces

With a height of 230 feet 

With a drop of 226 feet

An orange monstrosity, that’s what it is

An orange monstrosity, that’s what it is

Strapped in, trapped in

Nowhere to go

Fear within, chin tucked in

Ho, ho, ho, this will blow

Anticipation, building

Heart, racing

Time, ticking

Three, two, one… going!

Rising slowly at first

A creak here, a creak there

But, it all seems okay…?

Until it’s not. 

The first drop comes.

Then, the first loop-de-loop comes.

Then, the first hammerhead turn comes.

Then, the first air-time hill comes.

Oh, don’t you just love the feeling of weightlessness?

I’m on a machine as big as a beast

Yet I feel as small as a bee

I’m on a machine racing as fast as a cheetah 

Yet my heart rate ain’t the quickest thing going on right now,

Since my life’s flashing right before my very eyes

A descent with an angle of 75 degrees

A speed of 77 miles per hour

A time of only 3.9 seconds to reach that speed

An orange monstrosity, that’s what it is

An orange monstrosity, that’s what it is

I’m feeling scared to death and I want to get off

But the only way for this to end is to stay on…

I thought this was supposed to be Wonderland

But right now… I’m feeling like Alice

I’m travelling down for 75 degrees

I’m travelling left for 180 degrees

I’m travelling all around for 540 degrees

An orange monstrosity, that’s what it is

An orange monstrosity, that’s what it is

Soon enough, it all comes to a halt

I take a deep breath, my first in a while.

After having travelled 5,318 feet in just three minutes

It looks like my short-lived ride comes to a close

When people ask about my day, I tell them:

Oh, I had so much fun conquering only the second-largest roller coaster in Canada

But when people ask about my experience there,

I tell them:

An obvious, outstanding orange monstrosity 

An opinionated, outlandish orange monstrosity

An outrageous, ominous orange monstrosity 

A behemoth come alive, that’s what it is…

Why I Wrote This Piece

The first ride I ever rode at Canada’s Wonderland was the Behemoth. Thinking back, I recall standing in line and gazing up at the overwhelmingly orange and tortuous rollercoaster I was about to ride, and I remember all the mixed emotions that rushed through me. Canada’s Wonderland is a place where one goes to be entertained, and every time I visit, it succeeds in its mission. This poem, Up, Down, and All Around, is a tribute to my first and unforgettable experience in Wonderland.