Whether Balloons

They rise at dawn

Balloon

Device

Telemetry

Parachute

Gas lighter than air

Pulls them

Up

And

Up

And up

Like a crazy near earth skydiver

Waiting for the moment when it all changes

The day

We become the weather balloons

Held aloft by the light

And the oil in our lamps

And the voice of the Bridegroom

We will

Rise

Whether permitting….

Matthew 16:1-3 KJV
[1] The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. [2] He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. [3] And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

Hercules, the lonely

A young man rides his bike in the driving rain across an underpass with two additional bicycles slung across his shoulder

My sons exclaim his notable strength

But I see poverty

Loneliness

The trees that have been hewn down here so that men cannot hide or sleep among them

Once I saw a man try to fit a motorcycle into the back of an SUV at a gas station

It would not fit, but still there were the pieces of a first world story—two men, two motorized vehicles, no rain that day.

The least I can do is….

The least I can do for…

The strongest man who ever carried the loneliness of the world in a storm

The God who rescues

Matthew 25:35-36 KJV
[35] For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: [36] Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

The treasure hunters

They were beautiful young women, one aisle over in ladies’ slacks, discussing a friend? A relative? She hasn’t taken it yet…really?!..isn’t she on birth control anyway?

There are words and contexts in between us—

me, the lady who does not know the girl who has not taken it yet, but wants to say this to them anyway—

If this is about a baby, tell her I will help her, any way I can help her with a child she should know, name, love, be transformed by

They—

knowing her, but not realizing how close we all came to Crazy Lady Town, pop. One.

Two, for now, if my guess is right

My regret, I hand to you

I should have done it

I should have brooked their discomfort

After all, we are treasure hunters here, aren’t we?