Mackenzie Gregory

Cheeks burn from the scorching sun but
the sunburn is worth the thrill
of all the aches and pains paid for
by long waits
Hair braided out of my face
capturing the moment
with poor memory
but open arms
spread wide
on top of the world
(on top of the ride)
Experience Universal
universally true
chest bursting with pride
with sparks of joy
leave all my worries
outside the door
(but it is fleeting
a single minute of fun
suddenly I can’t
remember
this one)
Back again and again
again and again
same thrill as before
(but do I
remember?
never.
I forget it some more)
nothing compares
to the smell of sunscreen
lathered on in droves
white cast on my nose
hands slippery but numb
from the grip
the grip on the wheel
(I remember this place
remember
but can’t feel.)
Phone forgotten as I stare.
I stare. I live. This is real.
Glasses off, contacts in,
prepared for the glares
of the sun that scorches and burns
as I live in the moment
but the moment leaves me
I struggle to cope
feeling less than complete
I wish for forever
I wish and repeat:

I am home.
I am here.

(But as I try to
remember
it all fades with the past
I am stuck with my memory
never fated to last.)

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Mackenzie Gregory is an English major at Cedar Crest College. She also serves as an editor of Pitch. She loves to spend her free time reading, writing, or watching horror movies.