Stuart Sanderson

A GREEN BALLOON

The other day, I released a little green helium balloon from my wheelchair into the air. It soared upwards to the overcast sky, up and up the little green balloon went and then the wind caught the balloon and send it to North East with speed. The balloon brought happiness and added joy to my life. It bobbed sideways to sideways like a happy person who won the lottery. Yet, on this day, I decided to let it go and make someone's else life happy. From my chair I saw the green balloon high above the trees and homes. It seemed to be touching the ceiling of the earth, or entering outer space to visit the stars and distant planets. The little balloon was almost out of my sight, when it started to rain. The little green balloon was free to roam the wilderness without having any barriers. I pushed myself inside for my dinner.

Stuart Sanderson is a resident of Inglis House in Philadelphia and a past editor of Wordgathering. A winner in the 2001 Triton College Poetry competition, his work has been published in Ariel, Zillah, Quasimodo's Eyes, Poet's Fantasy, Mad Poets Review and the Philadelphia Tribune. Sanderson's poem "Who's Lucky?" was made into a short film and his autobiographical essay, "You've Got to Live", which chronicles his life with of cerebral palsy, has been featured in educational material and forums.