i wish i were a cloud

i’d let the breeze whisk me away
      from place to place,
sometimes gliding at a lazy pace,
sometimes in an exuberant rush;
when i’m happy,
i’d do a happy little dance,
creating a kaleidoscope of light and shadow,
so people would see the pretty patterns
and feel my joy;
when i’m sad,
i would wail noisily and sloppily, or
i could quietly weep, almost silently,
and i wouldn’t feel embarrassed
or guilty after my tears are spent
because i know people would start
to worry, after a while, if i didn’t cry;
if i were a could,
people would look at me
and see what they want to see –
i could be a dragon or a rose,
or the face of someone they love and miss –
but they wouldn’t forget what i really am;
as a cloud,
i’d be transient but beautiful;
anyone who tries to catch hold of me
will go away empty-handed;
even if they thought they’d touched me
for the briefest moment,
they’d soon realize i could never be captured,
and that the almost-imaginary touch they took
would be the closest they’d ever get to me;
i’d be happy because i’d never be caught
by any one person,
but i’d feel sad if it were someone
i wanted to be caught by;
but then as a cloud,
i’d be able to cry my heart out
and not feel ashamed of my tears –
i think that’s the main reason
i wish i were a cloud.