A metallic blue balloon bats in the wind,
the end of its string entangled round
the sign for Holcomb Rock Road
but have no time to stop
with much to do, so promise
in passing that next time i will
and for three days, keep
making that same oath because
there's always something
Maybe it marked the way to a
birthday party, or escaped the grasp
of a child to dance away, or any
number of things, surely it has somebody
a
history.
Today i
pull the car to the curb,
work my fingers under the strings
frayed where chewed trying to get loose
now knotted, twisted tight and it cracks,
pops, screams in protest
to its restraint, a calf caught
in barbed wire,
howling as i
desperately
pull, PulL, PULL...
'Come loose, dammit!"
anxious to see it fly free,
the more it fights the harder it is to
see any hope
"Stop! I am trying to help!"
it claws at me and i work faster
only clumsier, cutting my flesh
and when finally released,
i sigh heavy
watch it rise, stutter, rise,
stall, rise
and then fall
twenty feet away
in the scrub grass ringing the road
side ditch
its eyes,
i feel its eyes, where it has none,
and they do not condemn me
for being late,
but are pleased to pass in dignity,
no it is i that slides the shiv in my own side
for all the times i promised and didn't
and today if you pass by
seeing a tear in my eye
it is not for a metallic blue balloon
that died, but for
my self.
Brothers and sisters, we are gathered here for one reason and one reason alone and that is to share our love of poetry. Sorry, Big & Rich, I stole your intro, but tonight it is OpenLinkNight @ dVerse Poets. Go write something poetic, come join us. The pub opens at 3 pm EST.
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113 comments:
Hah
Hah again
I salute you with a tear in my eye.
The shive in your side is great punishment for being so late to save someone, but it cannot stay there forever. Guilt is a terrible thing to carry around and it eats at your soul till you have nothing left to give. So one must set oneself free and fly, fly free like a new balloon.
Nice one Brian.
God bless.
Awwww, don't beat yourself up too badly.
Hopefully we learn from each experience or failed opportunity.
How often does that voice talk to us, prodding us to act and how often do we ignore it? Awesome.
How often does that voice talk to us, prodding us to act and how often do we ignore it? Awesome.
Son...
Thats where it was destined to Land!
In spite of all our visions of hope.
"its eyes,
i feel its eyes, where it has none,
and they do not condemn me
for being late,
but are pleased to pass in dignity,"
How does one find the wherewithall withing themselves to feel this. This is my dream.
Good words.
I'm sure she is happy to go.
One of my instant faves of yours, brian. So hard to keep promises, to know which promises to make, even, and very hard to free things, or oneself...see you at the pub, my friend, where we'll find some medicine for that cut.
A shiv in your side
That could really hurt your stride
So many many many times we all do this
Thinking whatever else we are doing will lead to more bliss
But usually it does not
And by the time our thought it caught
That damn balloon won't float
And it sinks our boat
We miss so many things in life because we are too busy...sad.
Our new slogan should be "stop and free the balloons"...I can see it on a bumper sticker : )
Brian...I am taking this metallic blue balloon and referencing my own life these past two weeks. The more I commit to doing what I want...the harder the real world fights with me. The balloon chose to lay in the scrub. You made good on your promise. You battled the agendas and manifestos of those who would rather you never got to free the balloon...and you freed it anyway. I think you should take your "self" and give it a pat on the back...if you hadn't have showed...well, this would be an entirely different comment all together ;)And I'm still up for being a librarian btw...just saying! Seems we've got a few publications that will be needing promoting! :)dVersePower!
Something about this just broke my heart.
A wonderful and sad beauty here. Nice.
next time maybe you'll take the time, is that what you are saying? Don't count on it...because sometimes life not only gets in the way it drags us down like metalic blue balloons...
Sandi
Brian, really like the way this piece moved. The idea of balloon, stands on its own, but all the various metaphors available to replace it as you think while reading your poem is awesome stuff. Great job as always. Thanks
A tragic beauty of a work, Bri...it is hard to think we miss so much because of how busy we make ourselves...or think we are. It makes it so hard to maintain, to take the time, to try...mayhaps next time, I suppose...
Life lessons wrapped in balloons. You never cease to amaze me.
Beautifully sad...wonderful poem.
A balloon cannot be saved unless it wants to be. Sometimes its fight is to be left alone, sometimes its fight is with its own string, sometimes its fight is with those trying to free it who might not be working fast enough or hard enough. A balloon rarely goes willingly, floating quietly on the breeze. More often than not, it simply pops becoming a choking hazard for the innocents nearby.
I like the string imagery, not only the balloon's string but also a string around your finger, a reminder that you never quite get around to addressing.
sometimes those blue balloons can be like mirrors to our soul..think my fav part is the feeling the eyes where it has none and the not condemning...makes me think of someone else as well..fine piece of writing bri..
I hate being too late.
In fact, I hate it so much that I convince myself it's never *all the way* too late and find some little shred of redemption so I can keep my shiv sheathed.
It kinda works, actually.
=)
and something you free a soul only for it to crash at your feet.
But still, you tried.
fight or flight. If only it had behaved like a deer in headlights.
...the struggle so real
wow man! how did you do that? all that from a balloon... man.. great write.
Yes, beautiful and sad all at the same time. I think we've all regretted not taking the time to do or interact the way we intended or wanted to. This tugs at me as I know it's true in my life. It's a hard balance but we must put our priorities in order and be intentional or we'll always find some type of busy-ness to replace the time we should be doing other things. Love ya!!
ain't life just like that ! thanks for sharing x
Great metaphorical piece, man.
LOVE your use of metaphor! Very clever! We do beat ourselves up way to much, abusing ourselves, sad. But I love the tinge of humor I felt.
Also, I love how there is poetry in everything, even a balloon tied to a street sign!
DVerse has brought me to know so many new poets I have overlooked and I am thankful to come each week and find some new talent that I missed out on. What an experience the Pub has been for me! Love it!
Kellie
http://magicinthebackyard.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/hard-cider/
I think is one becomes on of my favorites. Nice write and thanks for posting!
i always find truth and beauty in your words. i love that you noticed in the first place, yes, rushing by, but how many others didn't even see it?
perhaps that balloon needed three days to live before it was released to fall to the ground...
the ghosts don't float away so easily...there is as much beauty in this as there is strife
you are quite good at this Brian
Peace
Powerful... I especially like the second to last stanza, brian.
Poor balloon...I do hope you are sufficiently chastised now for not helping it sooner!
Another great write from you ;)
aint that the truth brother - perfectly tragic brian.
so good: it hurts
Big and Rich, eat your heart out -- Brian Miller is IN THE HOUSE!!
I once fell in love with a purple metallic balloon that left me for the sky. So I cried. But later met a nice mylar Happy Birthday elephant and we all live so happily ever after.
xo
I found great joy and pleasure her ... couple of chuckles too!
Amazing that you felt that from a balloon and wrote so brilliantly about it :) I think G-Man said it best
I really like this! I like how you feel so much empathy for an inanimate object and yet you make me feel sadness for it's loss as well. Great poem!
Brian,
Simply amazing. We've all passed those balloons and wondered...imagined where they were leading people to...the privileged people who knew to look for the balloon and see it as more than a balloon...a guidepost. A friend once wrote a brilliant poem of a plastic grocery bag floating through the barrio. I now have a collection of favorite poems of detritus - that poem and this one!
Cheers,
Mark Butkus
Your wonderful poem kinda threw me into the song "The Cat's in the Cradle". We do so let time rob us of so many blessings with others.
God bless and have a wonderful Thanksgiving Man.
BTW: Giveaway...my place...ya'll come!!! :o)
The best of intentions, the lost moment. Beautiful work--the sense of loss is palpable
Promises that we can't keep..how it gnaws our insides, and kills a little of ourselves. On the balance though, we can't overstretch ourselves when we know we can't deliver the promise ~
This made me want to cry...I kid you not. Profound metaphorical journey into the regret for all the things I've let slip away, the things I left undone. Poignant, Brian.
Not just a blue balloon, but what the balloon represents. I love how you wove this tale, very thought provoking for those of us who beat ourselves up for things we can't control, perhaps responding to some past error or regret in our lives. Nicely done, Brian.
(Appreciate you stopping by,rereading and commenting again on my blog post. Recording was new, I recently discovered "Sound Cloud" and gave it a try.)
I so feel this poem ...
To see a balloon...and then arrive at this place where the poem springs from you....amazing!
I felt your struggle as you tried to free the balloon...and whatever else in you that needed to be released.
Loved it! Stopping by from dVerse
the eyes that weren't got me, the not condemning - anyway, who ever condemns better, harder, than we do ourselves?
and today if you pass by
seeing a tear in my eye
it is not for a metallic blue balloon
that died, but for
my self.
... and that's good too, it's all good (in a manner of speaking)... it all is
and it all falls out in this wonderful poem
I relate to the broken promises. But you stopped. I like the idea of setting it free. I would stop to take a picture. I'm still thinking about your last week's poem about the the clothing tags of poor Chinese workers.
Amazing how one's mind thinks in symbols--all the connections. Thanks. K.
I really love this one Brian. I know these feelings as well. So often I wrestle with not being able to stop and help as much as I'd like, even if it is "just a damn balloon." I'll bet you're one of those people (like me) who stop their car to jump out and rescue turtles crawling across the highway! I swear some day I'll get hit trying to save a turtle!
I think my favorite thought here is that the balloon does not condemn the speaker, although the speaker condemns himself...
What a fun and heartwarming metaphor to remind us to take the time in life for the things that matter. Love this!
What matters in the end is that you still took the time, don't you think?
So far behind, so not commenting and instead devoting myself to reading back through..
Ah, Brian, I sense this is a metaphor for the typical day on your job. Very sad.
Awesome. Just awesome.
Ahh..that whisper we hear, but pretend we don't..think we are so big in our britches, until...
this is one helluva poem..really good Brian.
(PS-love the mohawk)
And that is why I picked up that poor sparrow that flew into the window and carried it to the shrub instead of leaving it on the walk to be disregarded by others that passed by.
Dignity.
Wonderful work, Brian. *smiling*
the balloon, departed the civilization of which it was a product, and turned natural...wild. Nice sentiment, to try and free the balloon; to feel the guilt of postponement.
this is a great metaphorical piece.
good job.
You must think of the balloons you have set free.
Your balloon probably means different things to each of us one thing too all of us, regret.
i feel sad after reading this... really...i think we can look at this many ways...i've read it over and over... SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!
Simply fantastic. xooxox
How do you do this ... such sad beauty! Hope you and yours have a wonderful T-day!
The desperation to save and sometimes all we can do is watch it float away. Very moving piece.
I really enjoyed the way that you captured those moments when it seems we engage with the inanimate world in such a meaning giving way. Someone above talked about guilt, and that's as good a way as any to see how we undertake even the most mundane actions and invest them with ourselves and how we see the world.
Brian, I feel like that sometimes also--even with that self-sorrowing tear. But I could never ever describe it so meaningful, true, so perfectly.
Oh, now I get the first part of your comment about promises! Loved the depths of this write.
Its powerful moment in time ... and a great treat to see it developed so softly into an emotional thought... lovely words my friend
Shashi
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com/2011/11/whispers-sighs.html
At Twitter @VerseEveryDay
Perhaps a lesson for us to all just slow down. Live Now and do things now. Say things now. Don't wait until later. It is just a balloon, but it is so fun to see them soar.
I think you just messed with an anal party planner and now his/her Thanksgiving guests will be late arriving after missing the turn.
Damn! Brian, every time you post something, I say to myself, this has got to be my favorite. And here you did it again. I love this! Lost opportunities... and I so respond to that blue baloon floating away in dignity! We don't take time to stop and smell the roses or free a blue baloon! Opportunity knocks, and we are too busy getting and spending. Bravo for this lovely, imaginative, and somewhat sad piece, Brian!
There's little you've left for me to say here...
Sorry for a lame comment.
Wonderful, Brian. A tear for all the times we fail to keep our promises to ourselves... I love it when I can understand your poems, lol!
this made me laugh and cry at the same time..what a mix of emotion
Wow. this is a brilliant piece! and we all know it's ONLY a balloon *wink, wink* I just loved this piece a lot. Loved how you use a balloon to illustrate your inner struggle. Don't beat yourself up too much. Let go. You did what you could. Also, thanks for visiting my blog. Sorry it took me a while to repay yours a visit. Cheers! ~Olive Tree.
This reminded me of the French movie called "The Red Balloon." I've forgotten what grade I was in, and what purpose it served, as far as related assignments (saw it at school, from one of those projectors you had to feed the movie through before running it. They came on large reels...though I'm thinking that with your age, perhaps they were on to VCRs by the time you were in elementary school...I digress. Anyway, great movie. So now you have me thinking about using it as a springboard to a post...thanks!
Always a nice write when I stop by your place.
Tina @ Life is Good
An amazing poem. You describe the journey your emotions take so well!
I found myself completly drawn in.
A perfect last stanza!
Brian,
Say, playing with balloons can be a great way to release that tension string.It's mesmerizing.
Been running around these last few days. Working out an itinerary for a visit to Bandar Acheh in Indonesia at the end of the month. Thanks!
Hank
Such an analogy to life!! Struggling to help others be free...watching them struggle and finally break into the open...only to fall flat on their face...so quickly!! Sigh!
Loved this piece Brian!!
Hugs
SueAnn
Brain, you have such a poetic mindset and a contagious sensitivity. You see so much behind a simple event and then have the talent to write about it.
Yes, life often moves to fast and we move with it and in retrospect do we sometimes see, that we did wrong by not pausing and focusing on what is important.;)
Have a great day dear friend,
xoxo
Ok, I meant Brian, but you are brainy too.;)) Hihi.;)
We should take every experience as a lesson, we can always learn, it never stops. You're very good with words. I'm not an artist, I like to cook though and make cakes. Come on over if you like food, it might cheer you up:) I'm following you from Rome, but I'm Sicilian, originally from Trapani. I lived in New York in the 60s and 70s that's why I speak English.
Your Words Blew Me Away!
I pray to God that I never let anyone down through my own inadequacies.
Rings so true. We should all act more.
Rings so true. We should all act more.
freedom floats and pulls us down....lovely Brian!
Quite moving...loved the expression.
I like G-Mans comment best. Very zen. :)
Have a wonderful holiday!
Brings back the image of Tinks losing her first balloon and the tears that followed. So thanks for bringing that one back so vividly.
image of the blue balloon carries the emotion of these words to another level for me. Beautifully done Brian ~ Rose
true story? found the comparison to the calf particularly vivid...
Oh Brian, this one really wrapped around my heart! I love this line "i feel its eyes, where it has none,
and they do not condemn me
for being late,
but are pleased to pass in dignity..."
so much compassion in this poem.
Dunno, somehow it sounds like parenthood. Damned if you do your job, damned if you don't. Fine poem. - Brendan
Wow, Brian, great metaphor, great use of imagery. This one was very touching, a keeper! ;-)
To project the regrets from within out onto something small, meaningless, suddenly imbued with significance. Something all writers can relate to.
Gene
Lots to forgive ourselves for.But you're right about the importance of doing what we say and the regret when we don't is our teacher. I liked this a lot.
Love the metaphor. It carries so much with it. The balloon for a child, the rise and fall, the hopes that rise and that are dashed. The wanting to care but a time lag that made a difference - the neighbor who died, the child who couldn't be reached, the epidemic that had a short time to be stopped. All here, so well said.
I guess I grieve too. So often, knowing, intending to do something pertinent, but giving in to manana.
Wonderful write Brian.
there is only so much time in the day, friend. you can't save every balloon but I know we all wish we could at times.
A pin to pop the balloon to put yourself out of misery? :P
you always say so much in such few words ... and we all can relate so well ... Your verse has got a universal tale
Lovely metaphor, I believe my life heading that way ... trying to hold and wanting to see it fly free .. some hopes few dashed out .. Oh so much for me to relate. :)
And Brian thanks for commenting on mine.. I think I am at my worst best these days but I wont give up :) Thanks your comments always push me to write more.. Love to dVerse.Glad to be part of it
Some things are just beyond saving by me. But as the atoms seep out of their pores, I feel a release of that energy to the universe. We all run out of air at some point.
"the more it fights the harder it is to see any hope"
And that's when we should perhaps hang on? Maybe or may be not. Guess it depends on the situation.
Really deep piece, Brian. Felt every line had two or three layers beyond the surface...*smiles.
As usual, intelligent and thought provoking.
I would probably never stop
Do you know the song 99 luftballoons from nena? It's German but heard an English translation once as well. I like the lyrics, they make you think
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