Flight Poem

On 25 May 2013, I flew to Adelaide from the Gold Coast.

I associate Adelaide with hopefulness and opportunity. I was looking forward to basking in the pleasures of old friendships once again.

 

Twin griefs had distracted me for several months: the death of a dear friend and the loss of a longstanding friendship.

 

On the flight, I had a magical experience. Here is my poem.

 

window seat 16A

pale clouds streaming

soft eyes embracing grey, brown land

my wide, brown land

late afternoon forests dark like lakes

and inlets

tiny islands of brown within them

pale edges like beaches

 

cheek pressed to the window

I measure the land below

it folds itself onto itself

precise as origami

not gentle hill-folds

 

and

then it happens:

up floats this massive, folded landscape

and enters my heart

like posting a letter

 

I raise my hand to touch it

find it already inside