Izza On A Merry-Go-Round Poem by RIC BASTASA

izza is my my niece
she rides on a merry-go-round
at the carnival
today

before riding it
however
she raises her eyebrow
puzzled
whether to ride
or not to ride
thinking that
if all these horses
run in circles
it will not
be arriving at any place
pointless
futile


on the other hand
all the other cousins
her age
are riding
and she too must ride it
for fifteen minutes

i see
she is enjoying every minute
of the ride
she finally decides to
mount herself
like the rest
waiving her hand
to her mother
taking pictures
on her first ride
on the merry go round
when it ends
she dismounts
at last

i ask her
how does it feel
to ride
in circles

she says
'it is so wonderful'

she claps her hands
and i tell her
'good! '

in silence
i could have told her this,
izza
that is what life is all about
a merry go round
where
we are all children
enjoying our ride
in circles
arriving at nowhere
arriving at no ends
and
your mother is
just like God
taking the pictures
of us waiving
our hands with joy
the joy of life
that joy
on that merry go round
too short
for fifteen minutes......