Photo by Andrew Porteus
Cycled down Clifton Hill
as if we won the lottery
Passed by Frankenstein’s
Monster’s Burger King
& the cinema door said
“No projection today”
Stopped at the rainbow road
by a glowstick salesperson
Bought one to invest
in our local economy
Ooo’d at the cavern
separating the countries
Thought about the world
five hundred years ago
Noted the boat dock
which looked so miniature
Felt like Flat Stanley
looked like Chicken Little
Bought peanut brittle
from the snack salesperson
Watched from the barrier all night
as the magic wore off
Waiting to see if they were
sending their military our way
Relied on the back and forth
with my dearest friend
& the truthful blue hour
only occurring in summer
Source: Cole McInerney, 2026
Charm was entered into the Niagara Falls Poetry Project’s 25th Anniversary Poetry Contest.
Cole McInerney is a poet from Niagara Falls, Ontario. His poems have appeared in Contemporary Verse 2, Columbia Journal, North American Review, South Dakota Review, and elsewhere. He received his MFA from the University of South Carolina.