I am not usually inspired to write poetry. In fact, until today I can’t say that I have ever been inspired to write poetry. However, today, I was inspired to write poetry. The setting was Southwest flight 407 from Raleigh to Kansas City. I do not confess to know anything about poetry. I have probably broken many rules, but isn’t really the point.

Flying
As I stare across the glass divide into the vast expanse
I see horizon fade into horizon—the seam of two worlds uniquely visible
And into this intangible frontier men slip
Past the guards—the laws of nature, we creep
And find ourselves resting on impossibility
Soaring on pretense, defying our normal condition
And for a moment our senses taste what is not ours
We taste but cannot swallow
It is not ours, it belongs to God
And as I stare I notice for the first time
The walls around me are my life support
Protecting me from the thin and toxic air
The deadly, harsh temperature
This realm I so admire is also trying to kill me.
And so I must return.
This is not my home, I am a visitor