We've Been On This Tilt-a-whirl Before

It started the same.
Speech flowed amicably.
A warm tide of friendliness issued from both our fingertips.
Waves of wittiness and sarcasm spun into shore.
And we went round on this carnival ride.

You laughed like you meant it,
Played on my words.
Sent to me laughter, in intentional ways and those not so.
Our words swirled together into a chatter of fun
As the ride spun on.

We spun faster and faster,
Our hair flew all over,
Fear gripped us both,
We grabbed not each other.
The emergency brake beckoned me near.
My lunch begged me to be out of my system.

I pulled the lever.
We halted abruptly.
My departure was immediate,
While yours took more time.

You never got out, just sat in the seat
With the safety belt buckled.
As I wandered around,
Searching for the ride that would be calm, like the tide rolling in, like the waves gently swirling,
I came far too close to your tilt-a-whirl hideout.
The smile, the letters, the punctuation,
All seemed cautiously safe.

But tempests rise up out of harmless gusts of wind.
A tsunami rushes forth from a wave.
The carnival ride begins with an all too familiar spin.
With passengers unknown.