Children near me laughing and chasing,
Watching and waiting, taking turns carelessly
Blowing bubbles, see them floating,
Jumping and leaping, hands grabbing joyfully.
But one bauble is an escapee,
Under the spell of an invisible wand,
It winks and smiles at me,
And settles unbidden in my hand.
A perfect sphere, glass and silver
A crystal ball so it appears
I ask it to tell my future
Then it suddenly disappears.
Why do some small ones burst first?
Why do others float so long in flight?
Why do some large ones always last?
Why do some hold and catch the light?
And now another globule follows me,
I cannot outrun or dodge this one
The children see it and run free
They all wait until I join the fun.
Children and me laughing and chasing,
Watching and waiting, taking turns carelessly
Blowing bubbles, see them floating,
Jumping and leaping, hands grabbing joyfully.
Its lifework done, it floats away.
Andrew James Whalan 