Popping Balloons

Johnny and Janey went to the store

Eyes popping as they went through the door

Goodies and candy all over the place

To the counter they set a quick pace

 

On the right side were gums of all choice

To the left a doll with a sweet voice

Candies and neat things lay all askew

Too many choices to ever get through

 

But it was money which was their concern

Of that commodity, they had little to burn

So the item to which they were mostly attune

Was an inexpensive, large red balloon

 

They couldn’t inflate until outside the door

So they hustled themselves out of the store

Down at the park they found a nice seat

Hoping to enjoy their latest fun treat

 

First it was Johnny started puffing away

But the way he was blowing would take all day

So, Janey took over cause she was full of hot air

And blew so hard it straightened her hair

 

Slowly the great balloon started taking shape

Beginning to look like an African ape

Long arms, legs and a huge bod

Both kids were totally awed 

 

By the end of the day it had grown so tall

They needed a ladder to get to it all

Though they were nearly all blown out

They still had to inflat, the great sagging snout

 

Halfway up the ladder they had a surprise

The great structure has started to rise

They each wrapped their arms round a foot

But all their efforts went completely kaput

 

The great ape lifted up off the ground

With the two friends still wrapped around

It slowly lifted above all the trees

And then whisked away on the spring breeze

 

Out of the park and down the main street

With the two kids ridin on its two feet

Out of the city onto a rural route

Two kids on an ape with a huge saggy snoot

 

Above the mountains and across many seas

The ape cleared them all with great ease

A passenger airliner flew past this sight

A weird thing to see while on a holiday flight

 

They looked for a way to make this all end

With this happenstance, they couldn’t fend

They were getting hungry and wanted to stop

The only solution was to make the thing pop

 

Hoping to return, to a normal life

Johnny pulled out his little jack knife

But what they needed was some kind of harpoon

Cause the wee blade couldn’t pop the balloon

 

The wind then changed direction and back they blew

Hooked on a tall tree and their ride was all through

Now people come from miles round to see

A red Ape balloon stuck at the top of a tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[barleygirl]

Sometimes your stories go along at an amazing clip with three or four jack-knifes along the way, as if someone hijacked your storyline to take a sidetrip to Mars or Jupiter. THIS POEM, as bloody long as it may be, has managed to grip tightly to the reins of your rightful storyline. In short, this sucker makes sense all the way thru (kinda novel, coming from you). Really, tho. You shouldn't look at me, writing a book, as if you aren't a storyteller in your own right. This is quite a work of imagination & staying on track over a long & curving trail. Also, scanning the length & breadth of this anthology, you have no right to b***h & moan about how I'm writing this book & here you are just pumping out 400-poem anthologies left & right, boo-hoo! You are officially killing me with your whining, but you deserve that, since I've been killing you with my adjectives for years (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Dave Brown]

I thought you might say that
MG

[barleygirl]

Nice job of saying so much in so few words . . .