Up, up and away . . .

Hyper-helium did the trick.
A Jules Verne effect took hold
And up we went, sometimes erratic,
Yep, and sometimes cold

At those amazing heights,
Those giddy, giggly altitudes
In former days reserved for the flights
Of ocean-going birds –

But there we were. You waved your hat
At the couple in the rowing boat.
I savoured the bird's-eye view
Of oceans, lands and you.

The water wagon winged away.
Commuting couples soared.
Humanity just will not stay
On earth, grounded – and bored.

You disembarked. The great commotion
Continued in the air:
Life, death, danger and passion
In the upper atmosphere.