Angel Three Oh

potter air pic1

-For Potter, somewhere six miles above Wisconsin

You traded angels for the altitude
That ventures guesses at horizon’s curve;
Exchanged the earth for nimbostratus cloud
Imbued with sherbet hues that ripple, carve
And veil existence. Dancing on the wing,
The sunlight spreads its own, a swan in song
Reminding you that destinations bring
Their own departures. Time and space belong
To speed, a fleeting moment’s vista, caught
On film, by minds afloat in fluted planes
And amber waves of whiskey. Not for naught
Do clocks and maps contract for cars and trains;
But flight elaborates with immanence
As man transcends his grounded transience.

Comments

  1. This is lovely…
    and I would love to see you and JP do some poems in response to each other. One poem responds to the previous by the other….

    • IC,

      Thanks so much!

      A great idea too – although in a sense this poem is a response – as the picture was taken by Potter somewhere over Wisconsin on his trip back from Chicago to the Spokane area area via Minneapolis. Thus the inspiration to return the favor…

      JOB

      • Jonathan Potter says

        A fine idea IC! No promises, but I may take a stab at rejoinder.

        Btw, Joseph, I was also reading Groundwork while flying over your ground. This sonnet must needs be included as counterpoint, methinks.

        • Well, the last word I wrote in the poem was “grounded” – if that’s any indication of what I was thinking as well…

          Glad to hear you’re reading up.

          I’m whittling as well…

          JOB

  2. I’m one-up on the comments for this post.

  3. Jonathan Potter says

    Beautiful, JOB. Thank you.

  4. Quin Finnegan says

    Nice! Especially the sherbert hues …

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