let's do something fun

she asks you to do something
fun
over the weekend.
let's do something fun,
she says.
throwing her hands up into
the air
to demonstrate
what fun might look like.
her eyes get large,
her mouth is wide
and open. tell me what you
think of this she says,
jumping into the air
and spinning around like a
leaf tumbling from a tree.
let's go for a ride in
a hot air balloon.
yes? what do you think?
come on. come on it will be
fun.
you say hmmm. which settles
her down a little.
what? she says. it's so
nice out, the leaves
are changing. we can
drive out to Orange County
today and be up in the air
by this afternoon.
we can pick up some apple
cider too and maybe a few
pies from a roadside stand.
hmmm. you say again.
what about power lines?
and fire. those balloons explode
when they hit the power lines.
people fall out of those
things all the time and die
in a fiery crash. no one survives
when they go down.
you open your phone to show
her a photo you've saved
of a hot air balloon on fire
with people in mid air
falling to the ground.
you enlarge the picture
with your thumb and forefinger.
oh my, she says. when did that
happen? an hour ago, you say,
crossing your fingers.
well. that's terrible. well.
how about some cider
and some pie? we can do that,
can't we? take a nice
ride through the country.
i'm in you say, putting your
phone away and grabbing your
car keys.