red balloon

it was a red balloon

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaI tapped it
with my
fingertips
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaso light
it took nothing
aaaaaaaaaaaaato keep it
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaain the air
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa&
I was amazed

I could
aaaaif my touch was right
push it
aaaaaall the way
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaato the roof
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawhich
it would hitaaa softly
aaaaaaaaaabefore descending

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaslowly

my necked strained
aaaaaaaaaaaaaamy mouth open

aaaaaaaaa looking only up

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaoblivious
to everything else
aaaaaaaaaaaaaain the room

just the red balloon

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanext day
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaathe red balloon
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawas deflated,
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait couldn’t be sent upwards
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaato the roof,
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait fell ugly
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaato the floor

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaseeing it there
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaI had to pop it, quickly

but popping it
didn’t make it go away,
shrivelled & torn
the red blazed deeper

I couldn’t leave it
there on the carpet,
I had to pick it up
& throw it out

 aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait was a red balloon.



Published in Poetry NZ 45, September 2012.