What Do You See At the Top of The Ferris Wheel?
Yet forget about the experiences from the bottom?
Yesterday was filled with stagnancy and lull, a boredom I could not pull myself out of with every new activity I tried.
Today, after a steady night’s sleep, the colours are bright again.
I yearn to taste the rich warmth of hot cocoa.
Even chopping carrots felt relaxing, uniform motion to form rustic chunks for soup.
Some days, you reach the bottom of the wheel, yet others, you see the view from the top of the world.
This piece was crafted from two sources of inspiration.
First, I saw this quote originally posted on Tumblr by sproutlett and reshared on Instagram by petrichara:
just a reminder that there’s so much more that we still don’t know about ourselves and that’s what makes life so beautiful. next year you could find your next favorite musician or fall in love with someone you hadn’t met yet. you might see a new shade of green that will become your new favorite color or you could become obsessed with a new food that you thought you once hated. we change as life goes on. we grow as life changes. our experiences shape us into a new person. it’s beautiful.
As I read this, something rose in me. Yesterday I had the worst day of the week. It wasn’t a disaster or anything, but a day where everything I did felt flavourless. I even keep a list of activities to do to pick-me-up so I don’t have to think when I’m sad or bored, but even that trust list of activities didn’t work. I went to lay in bed at 7pm and probably fell asleep at 9pm.
It’s amazing how I woke up with energy renewed. I know for a lot of people who fall into a lull, it’s a sign that the next week or even month will be a lull. For me, I am grateful that this fog waved away after a good night’s sleep.
It reminded me, then, of the TV show I’ve been watching: Brother’s Keeper. Currently, I’m actually on its sequel, Brother’s Keeper II. Because I’d been watching it with English subtitles, I paid almost no attention to its Chinese name: 巨輪 (literally: “big wheel”; figuratively: Ferris wheel). But, as this poem unravelled, it hit me. The central narrative of how these two brothers’ lives emerge in success to fall into failure mimics the motions of a Ferris wheel.
Some days, you’re at the bottom, waiting and hustling to get to the top. Or, you’re hitting a lull in life and no matter what you try to do, it’s a foggy day. Yet others, you make it to the top and you see the beautiful view. Or, even cutting carrots is stimulating and fun.
I know these days won’t last, but it doesn’t scare me. When I’m at the bottom of the wheel, I am moved by the hope that I will come up from it knowing that it cannot last. When I’m at the top of the wheel, I also try not to oversaturate the experience, holding on to it as if it can be the only experience I strive for. This makes the inevitable roll back to the lull days not as harsh either. Rather than pessimism, this is survival. This is acceptance and letting go.
Hi I’m Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她) and I hope you liked this piece! If you end up taking this quote prompt and write something of your own, be sure to tag me — I’d love to support you by reading your piece and sharing it on social media! Alternatively, challenge me here with a prompt idea and I’ll write a poem specifically for you, inspired by your words. ♥ PS, I PUBLISHED A BOOK 📚
^ by Imad
