"Balloon Boy By Philip Glass" by: Edward A. Rueda

First Rictus	Second Rictus
Balloon boy's flying	Balloon boy's flying
Balloon boy's flying	Balloon boy's flying
First a rumor	Balloon boy's flying
Then a picture
Glimpse of sliver
Strange and silver
Slowly turning	Balloon boy's flying
Is it burning?
There's a child stuck inside it.
First a rumor	Balloon boy's flying
Then a picture
Glimpse of sliver
Strange and silver
Slowly turning	Balloon boy's flying
Is it burning?
There's a child stuck inside it.
First no one could believe it	Balloon boy's flying
Then no one couldn't believe it
How could we know	Balloon boy's flying
That there was not a child stuck in a balloon?
First no one could believe it	Balloon boy's flying
Then no one couldn't believe it
How could we know	Balloon boy's flying
That there was not a child stuck inside it?
Ft. Collins boy missing	Rumor, rumor
Six-year-old boy missing	Rumor, rumor
Ft. Collins boy missing	Rumor, rumor
Six-year-old boy missing	Rumor, rumor
White little boy missing	Rumor, rumor
Six-year-old boy missing	Rumor, rumor
White little boy missing	Rumor, rumor
Gone in balloon?	Rumor, rumor
Gone in balloon missing	Stranger, stranger
Boy in balloon missing	Stranger, stranger
Gone in balloon missing	Stranger, stranger
Boy in balloon missing	Stranger, stranger
Gone in balloon missing	Stranger, stranger
Boy in balloon missing	Stranger, stranger
Gone in balloon missing	Stranger, stranger
Wait, there's footage?	Stranger, stranger
Look at the live footage	Picture, picture
Latest balloon footage	Picture, picture
Look at the live footage	Picture, picture
Latest balloon footage	Picture, picture
Look at the live footage	Picture, picture
Latest balloon footage	Picture, picture
Look at the live footage	Picture, picture
He's gonna die?	Picture, picture
Boy in balloon to die	Danger, danger
Lack of oxygen	Danger, danger
Boy in balloon to die	Danger, danger
Lack of oxygen	Danger, danger
Boy in balloon to die	Danger, danger
Lack of oxygen	Danger, danger
Boy in balloon to die	Danger, danger
He's gonna crash?	Danger, danger
Boy in balloon falling	Worst fear, worst fear
Clear the airspace	Worst fear, worst fear
Boy in balloon falling	Worst fear, worst fear
Clear the airspace	Worst fear, worst fear
Boy in balloon falling	Worst fear, worst fear
Clear the airspace	Worst fear, worst fear
Boy in balloon falling -	Worst fear, worst fear
Wait, it's empty?	Worst fear, worst fear
(pause)	Not true, not true, not true, not true
I am a news channel	Not true, not true, not true, not true
I need a dead child	Not true, not true, not true, not true
I am a news channel	Not true, not true, not true, not true
I need a dead child	Not true, not true, not true, not true
I am a news channel	Not true, not true, not true, not true
I need a dead child	Not true, not true, not true, not true
I am a news channel	Not true, not true, not true, not true
Who is to blame?	Not true, not true, not true, not true
Is this a hoax?	Outrage, outrage, outrage
Answer the charges	Outrage, outrage, outrage
Is this a hoax?	Outrage, outrage, outrage
Answer the charges	Outrage, outrage, outrage
Is this a hoax?	Outrage, outrage, outrage
Answer the charges	Outrage, outrage, outrage
Is this a hoax?	Outrage, outrage, outrage
All for a show?	Outrage, outrage, outrage
Lock up the family	Scapegoat, scapegoat, scapegoat
How could you do this t'us?	Scapegoat, scapegoat, scapegoat
Lock up the family	Scapegoat, scapegoat, scapegoat
How could you do this t'us?	Scapegoat, scapegoat, scapegoat
Lock up the family	Scapegoat, scapegoat, scapegoat
How could you do this t'us?	Scapegoat, scapegoat, scapegoat
Lock up the family	Scapegoat, scapegoat, scapegoat
How could you do this t'us?	Scapegoat, scapegoat, scapegoat
(pause)	BARF!
	1, 2, 3 hours
	4, 5, 6 hours
	7, 8, 19, 10, 'leven, 12 hours' coverage
My dear boy Falcon, as I go to pris'n	13, 14, 15 hours
You may be asking why this has aris'n	16, 17, 18 hours
As ancient Egypt once built pyr'mids tall,	19, 20, 21, 22 hours' coverage
So media cov'rage dulls Obscurity's pall
	23, 24, 25 hours
As carv'd ob'lisks praised Pharaoh in Thebes,	26, 27, 28 hours
Our nation dwell'd upon your cur'ous deeds	29, 30, 31, 32 hours' coverage
You scarr'd our psyches as a Great Obsess'n
'Midst two wars and rav'nous Great Recess'n	33, 34, 35 hours
	36, 37, 38 hours
And should you live to ripe old Nin'ty-Fo'r	39, 40, 41, 42 hours' coverage
Th' nation shall proclaim yo'r name once mor'
I see your Times obit, st'rk bl'ck and gray:	43, 44, 45 hours
"Th' boy in th' balloon has died today."	46, 47, 48 hours
	49, 50, 51, 52 hours' coverage
S' view Jon-Kate and Octomom as kin,	53, 54, 55 hours
Go pursue fame and help our fam'ly win.	56, 57, 58 hours
	59, 60, 61, 62 hours' coverage
First no one could believe it	First no one could believe it
Then no one couldn't believe it	Then no one couldn't believe it
How could we know	How could we know
That there was not a child stuck inside a	That there was not a child stuck inside a

Note: One-part pride and two-parts anal compulsion push me to share my winning Kilmer poem on this blog, so that The Phlog or other publications can reproduce the poem with proper layout. (c) 2009 by Edward A. Rueda