Simple pleasures

So simple,
it was then;
to hop aboard;
to ride a plastic horse
and dream
of sailing across the prairies:
a happy suspension of disbelief,
a lift,
a quarter or two,
and we were off
to visit other lands
and other worlds;
to gallop across a feathered universe
of sky and sea, mountain and valley,
breathing unimagined air
and with each breath, a prayer
of joy, and hope, and wonder
until the music stops
and fantasy returns to a standstill.
Quiet descends -- and then the wails begin.
More, mama, more! More illusions, please!


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