Dark Park
I went for a ride
on my bike in the park.
Some clouds started forming.
It quickly got dark.
The rain pounded down
as the wind began blowing.
The weather turned colder,
and soon it was snowing.
I shivered and shook
as a blizzard was forming,
and thunder and lightning
were suddenly storming.
I tried to escape,
but my bike wouldn’t go.
The wheels were both frozen
and stuck in the snow.
I jumped off my bike
and ran out of the park.
The sky was all sunny,
not cloudy and dark.
It’s really a puzzle
why out here it’s nice,
but inside the park
it’s all snowbanks and ice.
I’ve taken a breath,
and I’m counting to ten,
preparing myself
to go back in again.
I might sound insane,
like a crazed maniac.
I don’t really care, though—
I want my bike back.
— Kenn Nesbitt
Copyright © 2025. All Rights Reserved.
Reading Level: Grade 3
Topics: Seasonal Poems, Wacky Weirdness
Poetic Techniques: Alliteration, Irony, Narrative Poems
Word Count: 146
About This Poem
It’s the middle of autumn, and the weather has been cold and rainy where I live. Most of the leaves have already fallen from the trees, and it definitely feels like the seasons are changing. I wanted to write a poem about that change—but with a little twist.
“Dark Park” started out as a simple poem about riding a bike on a gloomy fall day, but it quickly turned into something more mysterious. I liked the idea that the weather in one place could behave completely differently from the world outside it—almost like the park itself had its own strange little universe.
If you liked this poem, here are a few more you will enjoy:
- I Spotted a Pie on the Sidewalk
- It’s Raining in My Bedroom
- Today We Had Some Weather
- It’s Raining Cats and Dogs Today
Worksheet
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