Balloon (October)

October balloons above Richmond in the early morning light. Another two, yellow, drift slowly over Malvern, and there’s a lot of Malvern. The day has started on an eventful note, for some. I once thought of writing a play about a balloon trip: the excitement of preparation, the manager with all his hot air, whether to take extra woollies. Are binoculars much help? It was a disaster play, existential in intent. They get blown off course, the thing deflates, ropes snap, crows drift slowly by. As I recall, travelling in comfort along the Caulfield embankment, it had mordant Beckett dialogue.