Isabelle Gan
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.
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