I wrote the first and second (final) draft of this poem on 29-Aug-2020, the day of my father's death. "Flight Path"by Geoffrey Allison || SIXSTRINGcpa Original Copyright 2020. All Rights Reserved. A grasshopper landed
At the edge of the open screen window, And, in the near distance, A plane engine whined and cried. Yesterday was Friday. In the shadow of a courtyard I held my phone, Pointing the speaker toward the small gaps In the screen window made by the filaments. For you I played Supremes and Sam Cooke. Four Tops and Three Dog Night. Earth, Wind and Fire. And the Brothers: Blues and Doobie-- while texting my own. Overhead the Cessna soared. It left from the private airport you used. Sharing a flight path. Chasing freedom. As you had to. Some must fly solo. Some equipment outfitted only for one. I have always known. I remember your leaving. This morning I stood in the predawn. Staring again into the sterile room. Again through the meshed screen, In COVID-protocol. A fighter. A soldier. A now quieted body. They lifted you from bed to stretcher, Like you had carried me outside, When I was a boy, To share with me the night sky From the cement front porch still hugging The warmth of the previous day's summer sun. Were you able to turn your head, To open your eyes, Would you have seen me, What with Mars, The God of War --the light chip-- Marching across the horizon, My shoulder? Behind me. Behind us. (RIP, Pop) Comments are closed.
|
GEOFFREY ALLISON || SIXSTRINGcpaHello. It's me, a simple scribbler independently writing and publishing, with a bit of information for site visitors. This page contains select free-to-read poems and flash fictions, or what I refer to as my Short Shorts. NOTESWith the exception perhaps of any impromptu poetry temporarily posted here, the date shown under title is merely the sharing date and is not the date of creation, which may be years earlier, as is reflected by applicable copyright dates.
Categories
All
FOR SALE:
|