Small Balloon

From a dear friend:

 

There was a balloon, very small in size

that try as it might it just could not rise.

Its rubber was worn

and its knot barely tied

and often it wanted to run and to hide

because life was not always so easy.

But it could not let go of its longing to soar

and it would not give up on believing in more.

So it gathered its string as it perched on the floor

and it lunged for the air with such hope to explore,

but fell back to the ground, this time harder than before.

“How can I go on like this?”, the balloon sighed,

“I’m not strong enough, I’ve already tried.”

And in its defeat, and its very crushed pride

the balloon sat alone, and it cried.

 

“I think you’re strong”, came a very small sound.

The balloon was so shocked it turned all the way around,

and fixed its gaze on a tiny toy bear

with one button eye, and only patches of hair.

“I think you’re strong, and I think you can fly.

Please promise me that you will still try.”

The balloon struggled over to where the bear lay

and tied its frayed string around the bear’s waist.

Then nervously stumbled to rise from the ground,

this time on behalf of the friend it had found.

And without delay the two took flight,

they flew through the day and into the night.

They flew through the air, and they flew through the trees,

and they flew alongside of some birds (and some bees).

Then little by little the balloon came to see

other tiny balloons that were being set free.

Because when one has the courage to rise from the ground

it becomes hard for others to stay lying down.