I hold a balloon,

I watch it rise,

this sphere of air,

I hold this balloon

and then let it go,

watch it fly

up, into the air,

higher and higher,


into the sky

and you too,

in the south,

you hold a balloon,

you watch it rise,

this sphere of air within air,

you hold that balloon

and then let it go,

watch it fly

up (my down), into the air,

higher and higher,

up (my down)

into the sky

your sky,

your southern sky

now sleeping

below the line

of these northern lights,

two balloons

both rising,

one above

seeking shade,

one below

before the snow.

I hold the sun

in the north,

I hold the sun,

I throw it


higher and higher,


and you catch it


in the south,

I throw the sun

and you catch it

as the moon

but when we throw time

I am forever playing


For Liz.

All words and photographs by Damien B. Donnelly


  1. Perfect, PERFECT! I delighted in reading this Dami and despite the early hour here in the south it quickly dawned on me what you were up to! Line by line I devoured it and savoured it and what a wonderful surprise to suddenly catch sight of the For beautifully special! Funnily enough I saw the Title last, and broke into a big smile at your play on my Time in Two Hemispheres. I delighted in this like a little kid and just enjoyed your imagination and ideas 🙂 Thank you so very much! Big hugs, Liz xx 🙂

    1. Hello Liz, sorry about the delay, just got back from Strasbourg last night, the final weekend escape of the summer. Ah, I’m thrilled you liked it, a little surprise is a nice gift now and then. Maybe not as humorous as I come from a land down under but I think it stayed light, well, there was a balloon! Have a wonderful week 🤗🤗

      1. When I had a go at doing a poem myself I realised that I’d given you way too many examples and that it was necessary to have a much tighter focus! I loved the idea of throwing the sun and it being caught down here as the moon, and how with time you’re forever playing catch-up! Brilliant 🙂 🙂

      1. Inspiration and delight bounce around wonderfully well between both hemispheres! I checked back on your page to find you’ve added the most delightful’re always making me smile!

      2. I thought I added the sketch but when I looked at my site last night it was missing! That’s what happens when you upload on trains with bad WiFi 🤪🤪

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