NaPoWriMo Day 30: Balloons and Balloons

Inspired by the amazing Jennifer Liston and her wonderful 'Mrs. Noah' poem, and the Mary Poppins story of the Balloon Woman with her 'Balloons AND balloons, my dearie ducks!'

Three months and dithering

Verklempt, unsure

She gave in finally.

Walked to the store, money in hand

Bought that damned book

The one with the detective (she hated the dames)

The one she identified with so much

She wished they could have dinner.

Talk all night. Dance all night.

If wishes were horses – but she didn’t ride

And she’d fallen off the one time she did.

She went to the park. She felt it was calling her.

Breezes, sun, perfect lazy weather

And there at the entrance was a Balloon Woman.

“Balloons and balloons, my dearie ducks!” she cried.

“There’s a balloon for everyone

If you only take your time!”

What the hell, she thought, it’s only fifty cents.

So she paid, and took her time

And picked a balloon, scarlet as the bright stripe

On her defiantly undercut hair.

To her surprise, initials appeared like magic

On the balloon’s spherical surface –

Beautifully calligraphed, an O and a C.

“…Those aren’t my initials!” she exclaimed.

“They’re mine though,” said a voice beside her.

Startled, she turned, and right there was The Detective

(She recognised him at once, she knew his description so well.)

“Maybe this is yours?” he asked, and handed her

A deep blue balloon that looked like velvet and stars

And sure enough, her initials.

“Thank you,” she stammered, and handed over his balloon.

“They say if you wish hard enough, you can fly,” he murmured.

She looked at him. At the balloon. Then back at him again.

“Let’s go flying,” she said, with a smile like sparkling lemonade.

And the Balloon Woman watched with a satisfied dimple

As they held hands and swooped into the air

Balloons flying joyously like flags –

The Detective, in his dapper suit

And the Dame, in her tank top and old blue jeans

Laughing and talking, light as dandelions

On the good spring breeze.