Dancing with Balloons

When I took this photograph, I knew I had something special. When I processed it, I thought I had something spiritual. Start with the subject's white dress as she dances between giant hot air balloons as if she is participating in some kind of ritual or ceremony. White, of course, symbolizes purity and innocence. As for the balloons; at some point they will rise into the heavens taking their faithful passengers on a fateful journey. This balloon festival was like a religious experience for the participants. With this in mind, I incorporated a variety of religious allusions into the poem. Consider the purity of the faithful as they ascend into the cloudless blue sky, the redemption of the spirit as it floats in the soft morning light, and the joy that presages the long anticipated journey to another place. I hope you enjoy both the photograph and the poem.

White summer dress in

the soft morning light.    

Bold vibrant colors

anxious cries of delight.

She spins through shadows

dancing with balloons.

A transcendent spirit

her faith subsumed.

A cloudless blue sky

and the rush of hot air.

Earthly tethers release

at the county fair.

They slowly ascend in

the waterless sea.

These shiny bright orbs

are finally free.

The cameras click as

the ritual unfolds.

Crowding the sky

with translucent souls.

And the woman in white

feels redemption at hand.

As the risen fade from view

dancing to a new land.