The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

Up

I tug at the knee of her jeans … one, two, three
and then the feeling of falling up is like w o o s h,

in a good way. I hang my head back, am held by the
armpits. She spins, slow enough and I can taste the air,

am laughing now which feels like a mini implosion,
my body reaching toward itself. A hiccup expands

in my middle and I don’t care. The sky is blue.
When she has me, there is no such thing as rain.

About the Writer


Jess L Parker

Jess L Parker is a poet and strategist originally from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Jess lives in Fitchburg, WI with her husband, 18-month-old son, and Pitbull, “Poe”. Her debut poetry collection, Star Things, is winner of the 2020 Dynamo Verlag Book Prize. Jess’ poems have appeared in Bramble, Kosmos Quarterly, Blue Heron Review, and elsewhere. Jess holds a B.A. of English and Spanish from Northern Michigan University, an M.A. of Spanish Literature from UW-Madison, and an MBA.