I wanted to be the kid at the airport,
pumping gas, pulling chocks, wiping wings,
all for the hope of a ride, a lesson, a chance
to see the county from an open cockpit.
I was born sixty years too late for that.
In the present, airports have tall fences,
and are run by the city, or the county.
You have to pass a typing test to touch an airplane.
I long to lounge in the shade of a hangar.
Fresh-cut clover on the breeze,
milk cows lowing gently next door;
hoping to see a Northrop, a Waco, a Staggerwing.
The gargle of Wright radials has been replaced --
droning Cessnas infest the skies,
punctuated by a shrill, whistling bizjet.
The smell today is kerosene, and hot asphalt.
I would love to sleep under a wing,
and exchange flights for fresh pies;
just be caught up in the wonder of it all,
and the exploits of Roscoe Turner.
But barnstorming breathes no more,
gone the way of the passenger pigeon.
Air travel is just another business now.
Scheduled, pressurized, with drink service.
-8/31/05
Please criticize...?
Sorry, you cannot respond to an archived poemReviews
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Nostalgic picture
Lol, not sure if there is a bad thing in this poem. Nothing sounds akward or interferes with the meaning or flow of the poem for me. Personally, I hate being anywhere in a plane but on the ground—fear of flying
. But I do like the comparison. Actually this piece is a bit reminiscent of Richard Bachs Illusions. The feel and sound of gliders and bi planes is very nostalgic even for someone who has spent most of their life with feet on ground . It is a very nice comparison to missing things that seem before our time. Great poem with a good feel in my oppinion
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thanks…really appreciated… -
Wistful
I really like this, it's sort of like mine. Reflecting one what you wish were so, but could never be now. I love the way you bring in the older planes names to only replace them sadly with the droning of Cessnas. Bittersweet.
write on!
-blackbirdhunter. Rewarded 1
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Winsome, wistful and wishful.
Nice writing, your selection of language is great, "barnstorming breathes no more" for example. Your writing is very unencumbered, which is good, but because you use very carefully chosen words, it means that your subject is clearly visualised by the reader, even though you don't describe anything directly, simply hark back wistfully.
Not the greatest poem ever written, but it's not attempting to be, just.... nice, very very nice.. Rewarded 1
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rather fetching
I love the imagery, and I love the language. You create a startlingly -real- atmosphere; I can feel, smell, taste, hear and see what you're writing about - and I love all the alliteration.
The overall feeling of the poem is, as already mentioned, very nostalgic. I like it, because it's something I can relate to... even though most people would probably say I'm too young for that. A lot of authors who write this kind of poem try too hard, and it really pushes the reader not to care. You've managed to capture... a longing, I guess, in your tone that convinces me you're a person, not just an English textbook.
...this is turning into an amazingly long comment, but I've got three more things:
I liked the structure. The four-line stanzas were nice, even if it didn't rhyme.
One thing I didn't like - and I don't know why - is the word "gargle" (line 13)...
Otherwise I loved all the sound words... "lowing" and "drone" in particular. In fact, the whole line about the Cessnas was fantastic - "infest" was excellent.
Ah. And the ending was spectacular. Very cynical. I like.
Closing comment: I feel the same about tallships. Stupid 21st century.
/jannin. Rewarded 1
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Wow, you're still around!
Hey, thank you, thank you and thank you!
Sure, "gargle" is a sorta silly word, but that's really what the old engines sound like.
Cynical, that's me. Oh, and there are still some double-masted ships trolling around Lake Michigan where I live.
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Having just read your "Malibu Moses," I must say, you have a real talent for evoking another time-- the "simpler" times, if those ever really existed. (I'm a young'un-- I have never known anything but major commercial airlines, with drink service.) Another fantastic piece.
Violet Moodswing
November 21, 2005
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