Throwing out ballast to rise, near dusk,
light air and low flame,
up-draft we go!

Nice little buckle, a trade-wind slap,
but we straight right-up, real fast or we topple.

In the vertical slow chugging puff,
on low winds, poooffft we slow down,

the gondola pendulums,
aerial inertia.

Sometimes I just hold sway,
drop anchors, tie a taut-line,
buoyant, and hover there over
forever, where you are.

Pretty much every day.

© Carlos Chagall, 2013