The night before the hot air balloon ride
I barely slept
Excitement rippled through my being
I woke every hour on the hour
and mentally urged the clock forward
with child-like impatience
Finally, before the dawn
I emerged from my bed
Rumpled and sleepy-eyed
Flushed pink with excitement
and dressed in haste
I applied makeup to my face
then tiptoed quietly from the house
and drove upon a surge of adrenalin,
breathless with anticipation.

-2-
Excitement has blurred
many of the details
but I remember in vivid slides
the sights, the sounds, the scents
of that day's events.
You held my hand tightly
as the basket lifted from the ground
beneath an enormous arc of fire-warmed air
wrapped in a kaleidoscope of colour.
We floated quietly upwards
The balloon as graceful as a cloud
adrift in air, still as prayer
The world is a different place
when viewed from there

-3-
You wore your Ranger Rick jacket
The one with forty two pockets
and countless lost objects ;)
You spent much of your time
patting your chest in search
of one thing or another
and I in laughter
(another memory I'd love to share)
The fire of the burner seared your head
I wore a big hat and those silly green glasses
and was conscious of nothing
but the proximity of your body
the touch of your hand
that promised kiss

-4-
We sailed upon wind currents
shadows trailed the verdant earth
Our faces lit with wonder
Soul imprints like photographs
in a moving collage.
Inspired by the beauty
surrounding us
and far below
A different view
- a new perspective
We could only know
once we were there

Copyright 2005 Chanti