21 Balloons

21 balloons

I saw a child holding a handful of balloons

Tied on strings and wrapped up in his hands

They floated high in the air even though they were tethered to him

The balloons swirled up and down with the winds

Feeling as if they were free from strings

Alone with the winds and dancing amongst the leaves

All in a moment a balloon escaped into the universe

The child cried for the first that slipped through his small hands

He saw how it floated through the clouds and aimed for the sun

And one by one they slipped from his grasp into the vast world

And upon watching this child I realized those 21 balloons were you

For I too let pieces of you go everyday

And even when I think I’ve given the last piece away to the world

And let the sky swallow you whole, there always seems to be one more piece

And I let that part of you go too

I watch your piece float up and out into the world

And I smile