& Away

This image belongs to Edem Tours

The awakening at dawn
the unfurling in morning’s chill
the hushing rustle of grasses
and the braying of zebras
the creak of the basket
the fiery exhale
the lurch
the lift
the rise
the lofty climb
to this
to this
oh finally
at last
at last
at last
I waited so long for this.

the soaring glide over African plains
the herds of wildebeest
and running antelope
the regal grace of giraffes
the majesty of elephants

my crayon scribbles
hung on the cabinets at home
did not know
could never have known
the rapid whirr of my heart
the wide elation of my eyes
the grip of my hand on my own hair
and the hitching intake of my breath

a ribbon of water below spreads to a delta
and into a muddy lake
I had no idea that’s where that goes.
hippos bump and laze
startled cranes move aside
making room
I cannot ask for what, we soar away
up
up
& away

my naked feet on the basket’s edge
my arms spread wide
I smell the savanna
And the acrid heat rising now
I lean
I tilt
I fall
Heated air grabs me beneath my arms turned wings
I am lifted
And I fly
At last
At last
I waited so long
so long
so long
so long
so long
to fly.





The assignment in this Flash Fiction Friday was to incorporate a balloon, a crayon, and the words "I had no idea that's where that goes!" into a story.

9 comments:

babyjewels said...

beautiful

Bill said...

Very cool. Very excellent. Very buoyant.

I liked this a lot.

henri Banks said...

Hmmm :-0 i am wordless :-0

FRITZ said...

Wonderful,perhaps we should publish some odes together.
By the by, I am going to begin using you as an advertisement for myself. It's good P.R.
Friends of Spinning Girl! You can come check out my story for Flash Fiction FridayHERE

Anonymous said...

very nice.

Girl With An Alibi said...

That's so cool. I just want to go up in a balloon now. :D

Bobby said...

I am catching up on my reading, and I liked it a lot.

Keep em coming.

Weary Hag said...

You know, I can't seem to 'connect' with a whole lot of poetry. This? I liked ... very much.

(I think I don't like poetry so much cuz I suck at it so badly - but shhhh don't tell anyone)

Crystal said...

Somehow your writing has this wonderful way of making me feel full grown and age 10 at the same time. I can always place myself in it. You are supa fabu!