i pay to put you in charge over me
a.
after i got my shoes back on
walked from terminal A
the long way down to C
then checked my ticket
C-5 was my seat,
my terminal is A
C-seat,
A terminal
error made walking
did the same last year
so i had a long trek back
the other way,
from where i came
this journey has begun
b.
Kevin runs the magazine stand
near gate 7 and 8
terminal A
Cleveland Hopkins airport
is fifty, looks thirty
bald, black, comfortable with life
we talked some, he’s been to Africa
says he likes his job
been there a month
mentioned five other careers
next year we’ll see
if he is there
who will remember
that we spoke?
i have my ways
i have my notes
c.
small plane seats are C,A,F &D
part of the new world order?
i notice they took out the rhymers B,C & E
why’d D remain?
please explain
d.
small plane
seems large enough
two guys talking
two rows back
in lieu of listening to loud babbles
i changed my seat during takeoff
e.
so high open flat
hills and clouds and the haze
way out into the curvature of the earth
below
a black meandering
all the way down
must be river
looking down for crop circles and pictographs
wavy planting that follows the hills
the dark creeks look like cracks
a maze of houses
village forever to the horizons
we were following a river
now a highway
over ball fields
now a quarry, more houses and trees
the pilot just said,
“good morning, we’re starting our descent
and it’s a beautiful November day”
corkscrew down
we’re coming to Philadelphia
at the airport could have ridden a train
into the city see Independence Hall
i’ll wait instead
as once a day is enough airport security
f.
from outside i see
a large woman would-be - girl
packed snuggly in pedal pushers,
up to her knees in tattoos,
weaved through the tables at a terminal restaurant
a bull circling for the kill
her hair long blond thin and frizzed
resembles someone jumping out of a plane
who has not opened the parachute
or similar to someone being electrocuted in cartoon animation
she must do that to herself
because she thinks it makes her beautiful
she’s has enough volume
and swagger
friends wouldn’t
contradict her
g.
they call to board
will fly all night
over the cold north Atlantic
on auto pilot
so those called Pilot
can sleep
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Enjoyed that. Have you ever done the poetry prompt sites?
I like the title of this poem, and the way each section works together. I especially like sections b, c, and e; and section g with the sleeping pilots. Do you always take your shoes off at the airport?
I love it, Jack. This is exactly how I feel when getting on a plane. The form is fantastic. I've just read it several times to see what you're doing there. Wonderful. I always notice the first lines and last lines to see how they balance, and yours are right on.
But what I love best are the people in your poem. I read a poem recently by a famous poet about traveling on a plane, and his was dull. Famous poets can be dull...shocking but true. He left out the people and just said "a crowd" or "people" or some such general blah. His lines were good, but it had no soul like yours does. I'm wondering if you wrote a jet lag poem.
Anthony,
I don't want to spread out too fast. In two and a half years I've worked my base up to where I have five solid readers now. I don't want to divert attention and then have to start all over again.
Must cut this short. Just told me Obama's on line three, been on hold five minutes.
Tony, my gal will call your gal. Ciao.
Annie,
fine on the title. Good news on the working together. Now do I have to look to see what sections b,c, and e are all about?
Are you putting me on about the shoes?
The truth is: I take my shoes off at the airport and bus stations. I have since I was a kid. I take my pants off when I buy ice cream.
anthony north
now i will look up poetry prompts
Post a Comment