a chrome-spun balloon
stunned by a hedgerow
caught on brier hands
still holding onto
borrowed breath between
foliole and knickers
once fastened to a letterbox
so townies can find
the right house, now flown
this party balloon
in the shape of a 'f':
perhaps fifty, perhaps firm
perhaps fixed beside
a thorn, threatening
to collapse against the wind
witches’ knickers: a rural phrase for torn plastic caught in trees and shrubs
Colin Dardis is a neurodivergent poet, editor and sound artist from Northern Ireland. His work, largely influenced by his experiences with depression and Asperger's, has been published widely throughout Ireland, the UK and USA. His latest book is Apocrypha: Collected Early Poems (Cyberwit, 2022). His latest album is Funerealism (Inner Demons Records, 2022).
