try to imagine
Niagara as music
there are the Falls themselves, of course
sombre and awe-inspiring
but also:
the din and shriek of Clifton Hill
“at the house of Frankenstein… kill a little time with us”
if you tell me
you didn’t hear those words?
I’ll call you a liar.
the cacophony of sights and sounds
from the Midway on a busy day
or from Casino Niagara, the adults equivalent
endless cries and bellows from these arcades
a bazaar of peoples delights, backlight by ringing, screaming machines
bellowing players, young and old
while the fireworks echo out a beat of joyful thunder
busy traffic on Queen Elizabeth’s Way
summer tourists, coming to visit
residents fleeing to Muskoka, summer tourists themselves
the harsh buzz of helicopters
over Stanley Avenue and River Road
contrasts nicely with the steady whock
of golf balls on countless courses beyond number
the Boulevard’s nightclubs and bars
keep their own pulsing, sensual rhythm
the great Horseshoe is a hymn
to nature’s power and might
but Niagara itself is calliope music
a happy carnival tune

Source: The author, 2019

atlantic was born and raised in Niagara Falls, where he still resides. A selection of his work is available on Instagram

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