.
.
.
Five Fragments of a Narrative
Arriving by plane
at a western airport somewhere
below in that spreading purple
and orange wilderness there are people
searching for whatever
it is that means freedom to them
* * * * * *
sandstone being the inevitability
of erosion an elementary
exchange from water to air
as the wings wobble very slightly
from side to side a silent salute
to the vast expanse of mountain
* * * * * *
the people of the desert follow
at a distance their boots leaving
tracks in the tainted earth
above them a sudden glint
of sunlight on metal a quiet hum
and a flash that trails the range
* * * * * *
tired passengers press their faces
to the glass watching for a plane
that never arrives the desert
burning red and gold beneath
a setting sun the walkers holding
close to the memory of a shadow
* * * * * *
in Black Diamond Bay Dylan sings
of Walter Cronkite as a metaphor
for honesty vestigial as we
no longer have his equivalent
we must realize that the fate
of the plane may never be determined.
.
.
About the Author: Poet and songwriter Paul Ilechko is the author of three chapbooks, most recently “Pain Sections” (Alien Buddha Press). His work has appeared in a variety of journals, including The Night Heron Barks, Rogue Agent, Ethel, San Pedro River Review, Lullwater Review, and Book of Matches. He lives with his partner in Lambertville, NJ.
.
Image Credit: Chase Dimock “LAX At Sunset” (2021)
As It Ought To Be 