Up, Up, and Away!

 

Oh! Rapture at 10,000 feet and climbing,
a rare treat.
No mortal had the chance before the Wrights


To soar on the wing, higher than the birds.


Above the ocean 


and into the celestial sea.
an illusionary net of cotton ball clouds
upon which the imaginary god Zeus might perch
of no aid if things go south


The beauty of the filtered sunlight


makes you forget


the errand you are on






Then clouds turn from meadows into fierce mountains


their jagged edges in relief agains the dimming sky


A few miles and minutes more
they settle into a calm sea
making a horizon against the sun's waning light




Down the plane goes,
down like the sun


Until a few glimmers from above shine up



The lights and the sky grow bolder
competing for the night


As the wing hovers between the beauty


Making its choice
it leaves the sky behind


Rushing to the welcoming lights
a touchdown


The pleasure was mine.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Tribute to My Uncle Al

Image
My Uncle Al passed away the day before Thanksgiving. Here is his obituary  Like many deaths in this time of COVID, it was hard. But that's not what I want to focus on. I want to focus on him and his life because he was so much fun.  When we were kids, we were fortunate to be able to spend time on my grandparents farm. My uncle Al who farmed corn, soybeans, and hogs, lived there too. When we would stumble out of bed around eight o'clock, he would often be reading the paper in the rocking chair, on a morning break from the day's worth of work he had already done. As we came down the stairs, he would ask, "Are you sick? You were sleeping so long?" When the grandkids were on these visits to the farm, our Grandma would always say we'd do "something special." Al would chime in, "Yes, we'll have a nice, cold glass of water." When we balked at that, he'd say, "Then maybe a relaxing nap." When we let him know this wasn't what w...
Read more

Gold Star Mass at St. Mark's Catholic Church, May 31, 2021

Image
Photo by Peoria Journal Star photographer Conor Courtney The St. Mark’s Church basement is a basement lover's delight. Dark and cavernous, with pockets that seem to go on forever, it is filled with stuff from the church’s 130-year-long existence. It was not until my 57 th year as a St. Mark’s parishioner that I descended into its recesses, courtesy of Bob Ripp, the Boy Scout leader and unpaid parish handyman, who gave me a tour. Bob is a regular frequenter of the basement, as it is where the Boy Scouts meet. Amidst all the stuff—old pews, photos, Christmas decorations—Bob pulled out a three-foot-high, worn, wooden plaque in the shape of a cross. The faux bronze façade had lost its luster and there were cracks and chips in the wood. The plaque had been commissioned by Boland Mortuary, and on it were listed the nine men of the parish who gave their lives in World War II.                     ...
Read more

20th Anniversary of September 11

Image
Today we commemorate the 20th anniversary of September 11. Everyone has a story about where they were and the articles below recount mine.  The devastation and deaths didn't stop with the day. This chart from a U.S News and World report lists the number of lives lost as a result of actions taken in the wake of that day.  Total 897,000 Civilians 363,939 Opposition Fighters 296,858 National Military and Police 204,645 Other Allied Troops 14,874 U.S. Contractors 8,189 U.S. Military 7,052 Humanitarian/NGO Workers 892 Journalists/ Media Workers 680 U.S. DOD Civilian 21  
Read more