a new king of the skies

plump blimps brim with
technicolour drips &
you perch on a precipice of
canvas brushed with
anti-cloud varnish.
eyes goggle at ribboning
rivers & bursting mountains & you
manhandle the air to taste
brine – pure atmosphere. dusty pink
sunsets bombard your tongue-buds.

tourists of the ozone! poke
your grubby fingers through
the hole & wave
at roasted bodies on the sand.
this brisk swoop will
pickle your cheeks
red raw after filling
your guts with exploration.

pause. breathe in a thimbleful
of gasoline & its roiling offshoots

glimpse feathers
catching in the airship's wings &
hear the birds scream in their grief.