The Lion and the Balloon
The lion had a balloon.
It was a big, plump, shiny balloon.
People said the lion was going to pop the balloon
because the lion was scary.
People said the lion was going to pop the balloon
because the lion was violent.
People said the lion was going to pop the balloon
because the lion was angry.
The lion felt sad hearing what the people said.
It wasn’t scary, it wasn’t violent, it wasn’t angry.
The lion hugged the balloon and popped it
because the lion was clumsy.
It was a big, plump, shiny balloon.
People said the lion was going to pop the balloon
because the lion was scary.
People said the lion was going to pop the balloon
because the lion was violent.
People said the lion was going to pop the balloon
because the lion was angry.
The lion felt sad hearing what the people said.
It wasn’t scary, it wasn’t violent, it wasn’t angry.
The lion hugged the balloon and popped it
because the lion was clumsy.
This poem is copyright (©) Carl Burkitt 2025
About the Writer
Carl Burkitt
Carl likes telling tales. He tells long tales, short tales, silly tales, sad tales. He tells them online, behind a mic, in books, in schools, and on the sofa with his young family. His debut kids’ collection, Elephants Sleep in Bunk Beds, was published by Beir Bua in 2021.
