Muscular aeroplane exuding fizzy hot jetstreams
Throbbing in runway readiness as the stewards slam lockers
Trim hover-hat high priestesses to your power,
Dip to check seat belts, displaying regulation-shaved legs.
Your internal lights frown in concentration, all juice to the boosters
Impatient for control tower leave to commence taxiing.
I look out over your sensible wing, run my mind over your rivets
Place my faith in your scuffed, unwashed, but serviceable, body,
As the emergency dance routine washes in one sense and out the other
Admire your more glamorous well-endowed neighbour, next bay
Big-arsed and American, though no trusty Pan-Am
Guzzling a two-tanker breakfast, a little flashy for me.
A whoosh and we move, slowly at first, feeling the latent power
Then you lurch forward, but holding back until safe
Before weaving the network of slipways to the open runway
Where your throttle lets rip, frame juddering to within an inch of its G-force.
We take off, pushed back into felt upholstery by the pressure of thrust upness
That miraculous climb into the clouds that never ceases to amaze,
Until you level off to commence the flight path, set controls to cruise.
Ignoring 'Atonement', I gaze through the porthole and cirrus, sorting land mass from abyss.
Eventually you show me the twinkling lights of my destination
The pretty formation of a landing strip shoehorned into alien conurbation
Bring me down gently, stage by stage, landing gear erect,
To the perfect poignant landing, a butterfly's kiss.
I want to relay gratitude to the Captain, but that's not encouraged.
However he says he looks forward to seeing me again
And thanks me for choosing him.
© LS King 2008
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9 comments:
I love the line "run my mind over your rivets", I know exactly what you mean...
Ooooh very erotic!
But I am petrified of flying! Your writing must have been very evocative because I started to get that feeling I get at take-off. I was relieved at the end of it to find I was actually sat at my computer and safely on the ground!
Loved the imagery and word construction. I'll never look at a plane the same way again.
Makes me want to jump in a plane and fly away right now...! ;-)
Thanks for the comments folks.
I was intrigued to know if anyone else had been struck by the sheer masculinity of aeroplanes and thought I'd have some fun with the concept (though never the aeroplanes themselves, honest!)
Well got to occupy my mind somehow now they no longer give me the free colouring-in books (and I've already seen Atonement!)
This might be a surprising confession, but despite being almost 36, I have never flown.
That will all change on May 31st.
There was a lovely story behind your poem (and yes, some of that imagery was almost Freudian!)... but nothing to reassure me I'll survive the experience...
Good luck Rol! I only fly about twice a year myself. Perhaps that's why I'm still struck by the ethos of airports, aeroplanes and all the feelings they evoke.
Flying is largely fun (as long as you don't worry about the ice caps melting and don't mind the queuing and waiting for various processing at each end!). Worst bits are ears popping on take-off - make sure you have a boiled sweet about your person - and how soft or heavy-handed the landing is going to be. Oh, & you occasionally fly through a bit of turbulance, but that's ok.
No poetic posterity for me so far anyway...
I travel a lot with my job, the biggest issue for me is "What sort of wacko will be in the seat next to me?" I find it helps to dribble and pooint at your crotch alot if you don't want to be disturbed!
Oh boy, I don't remember flights being this sensuous when I was an air stewardess in the 1980s! A rather unattractive captain tried groping me once, but as he was flying the plane I decided not to bash him over the head, but made a sharp exit instead. (No wonder he flies from the cockpit)
This is brilliant... thank you :-)
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