Les Ballons Charles Tomlinson Griffes

Against these turbid turquoise skies
The light and luminous balloons
Dip and drift like satin moons
Drift like silken butterflies;

Reel with every windy gust
Rise and reel like dancing girls
Float like strange transparent pearls
Fall and float like silver dust

Now to the low leaves they cling
Each with coy fantastic pose
Each a petal of a rose
Straining at a gossamer string

Then to the tall trees they climb
Like thin globes of amethyst
Wandering opals keeping tryst
With the rubies of the lime