Red Balloon

Untie the balloon from its black rail —
the child will weep with sudden loss
increasing with the rapid rise of the helium-
filled orb. All day
the clouds congeal and darken. Ants
appear, carrying their great bundles
across the cement, then disappearing —
and the child wonders where they go.
That night on his pillow, his head feels heavy,
cradled in the cool white bowl of it.

- Elizabeth Twiddy

Reprinted with the permission of the author.