A Face in the Clouds

The boy is so much
like a balloon;
each day farther –
he is floating away
like a bloated
red and yellow mask,
grinning as he drifts
off into the blue
above the open,
ignorant field.

He is too far away now
to slash the ropes
that strap him
to hot air rising;
and the time
has long past
since anyone
could still button
him down to earth.

Whetstone: This from Poetic Asides - The prompt today was to write a poem with the following words in any order: slash, button, mask, strap, and balloon

Comments: 21

Kevin E. Apr 15, 2012, 10:12pm UTC

There are so many different meaning that could be attributed to your poem. Well done!

Atticus *. Apr 16, 2012, 8:34am UTC

Thanks Kevin. I think this one needs a little work, but thanks so much. You are always a kind reader. :-)

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JOHN BECK Apr 15, 2012, 10:17pm UTC

Creative response to a rather involved prompt.

Atticus *. Apr 16, 2012, 8:35am UTC

Thanks John. :-) If nothing else it is good raw material.

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Len Maxwell Apr 15, 2012, 11:33pm UTC

Like John, I think that was a difficult prompt with so many unrelated words and you carried it off nicely.

Thanks for sharing with Gather’s Luminous Writers & Artists

Atticus *. Apr 16, 2012, 8:36am UTC

Thanks Len ~ much appreciated.

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elizabeth evans Apr 16, 2012, 4:58am UTC

Have no idea with this one, Atticus....this hot air balloon is totally out of reach for me.

Atticus *. Apr 16, 2012, 7:37am UTC

You're right Elizabeth, this one fell a little flat. I must have been half asleep. Needs a re-write.

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Bernard C. Apr 16, 2012, 6:15am UTC

Going to meet thy maker up there in the clouds

Thanks for sharing and submitting to
The Surreal Circus.

Atticus *. Apr 16, 2012, 8:36am UTC

Just full of a little hot air I'm afraid. :-)

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Atticus *. Apr 16, 2012, 8:56am UTC

Maybe that's a little better ...

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Andrea Grenadier Apr 16, 2012, 9:10am UTC

Strange prompt, excellent response!
Who, as a child, has never wanted to be a balloon? Floating gracefully out of ourselves, toward some other dimension? This reminds me of the movie we used to watch every year in elementary school, "Le Ballon rouge."

Atticus *. Apr 16, 2012, 9:19am UTC

Good morning Andrea! I saw that movie. ~Thanks so much. It was kind of fun but it was a little difficult to keep the poem short and still connect all five words.

Andrea Grenadier Apr 16, 2012, 3:46pm UTC

That was a strange prompt, to be sure! I hope you're having a fine day!

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Stirling D. Apr 16, 2012, 9:59am UTC

I love this. I immediately thought of a father whose son has died as a young child, and the memory gets harder and harder to hold onto ...

Andrea Grenadier Apr 16, 2012, 3:46pm UTC

That's quite lovely, Stirling; I never thought of that!

Stirling D. Apr 16, 2012, 4:08pm UTC

Yep, I definitely get images from Atticus' work.

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CL Mareydt Apr 16, 2012, 10:32am UTC

Good way to meet such a writing challenge ...

☀★¸¸.☆.¸¸ . ✶*¨*. ¸ .✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¸¸.☆.¸¸ . ☀★☀★¸¸.☆.¸¸ . ✶*¨*.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING AT SURREAL CIRCUS!

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Angela A. Apr 17, 2012, 11:54am UTC

What a way to float, with your words!

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A Face in the Clouds

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