Balloon Play

red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet—

i’m a rainbow balloon plumped with just a breath

with each sigh to lift a world.

side by side with clouds, i rise, floating free

borne on cold winds, sweet winds, wild gusts, thrills.

have you felt it—that rush of lifting off,

leaving earth small & hazy below,

mountains flattening out like crumpled sheets?

i’ve soared above the clouds so many times,

only to fall back down, deflated, tossed,

rolling through streets like an old coat.

the sky’s crowded with balloons like me,

& down below, eyes follow with envy.

i peek over clouds, colors gleaming, high & bright,

but in one flushed, giddy burst—i’m gone.

gone again, fading like a dream in a stranger’s eyes.

but the wind here is warm.

& you, tired & hungry—

come, let me fill you, lift you, just one breath.

let’s rise together, just once,

& see what it’s like to drift past the moon.

Jennifer Choi is a passionate high school student whose love for poetry began at an early age. She finds inspiration in exploring themes of identity, love, and the complexities of the human experience through her writing.