purple balloon

                   i spy with my little eye                  

a purple balloon

in the sky

playfully bobbing

whooshing, twirling

the wind’s whim

 

purple balloon in the sky

were you set free

with farewell wishes?

set afloat with hope?

or an escapee

from a tiny hand

clutched until not

a toddler’s whim?

                                      

i spy with my little eye

a purple balloon

in the sky

helplessly dodging

snagged, clutched

a tree’s embrace

loving, until it hurts

 

purple balloon in the sky

was it worth it

the fleeting freedom?

there, then not?

love and loss

inhale, exhale

in a single breath?

 

i spy with my little eye

no purple balloon

in the sky

but

hope feathers

and heart flutters

a soul’s whim