the carousel

by Mark Belair

Do not use horse hooves

as step or footrest,

reads a sign by a carousel,

their galloping legs

where old, carved wooden horses

easily break.

Even a climbing child—

spinning dreams

of the galloping ride

ahead—

could snap one

clean

as a broken, unspooling

dream.

Photo of Mark Belair

BIO: Mark Belaire’s poems have appeared in numerous journals, including Alabama Literary Review, Harvard Review, and Michigan Quarterly Review. Author of seven collections of poems, his most recent books are two works of fiction: Stonehaven (Turning Point, 2020) and its sequel, Edgewood (Turning Point, 2022). Mark has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize multiple times, as well as for a Best of the Net Award. Please visit www.markbelair.com.