Can't Go Back

"You can't go back," she said
chuckling a bit as I pushed past her.

I didn't understand.

No, it didn't make
much sense to me at all
and the green light
on the other side of the lake
seemed to creep closer
but somewhere deep down
perhaps in the murky waters below
perhaps somewhere inside my mind
or my heart or my soul
it had fallen
and I knew.

"You can't go back!" he called out
and the voice echoed for a while.

Of course I could.

Oh, I could
if I could only stay
in the saddle
on the beast
as it galloped to the top of the mountain
but somewhere below me
perhaps on the ground rushing past
perhaps from my hands clenched so tight
or my lips or my tongue
it had fallen
and I knew.

"I can't go back," I realized
and it seemed so obvious.

I have lost so much.

So, so much
and I could see it all
from the top of the ferris wheel
spread out in every direction
as it was speeding around
but somewhere down there
perhaps in the crowd looking up
perhaps having slipped from my hands
or my pockets like loose change
it had fallen
and I knew...

I knew
that the boat was drifting nowhere
that there was no top to that mountain
that I was really only riding the machine
around and around and around
after all.