Long Flight

© Andrew Calhoun

Long flight, again,
Buckle up and ignore the safety instructions,
Don't say much.
Watch Salt Lake recede,
Swish on up into the clouds.
The air's recycled,
Coffee cart is welcome,
Flight attendants positive,
They train them for that.
No big deal anymore,
This up-in-the-clouds thing,
This leg-room-and-worry-about-the-luggage thing,
Although sometimes, you know,
There's a person picking you up
That you're pretty glad to see.
Captain's voice, nasal and clipped,
Giving the cruising altitude. Thanks, captain.
Well, okay, so dinner's coming, there's that,
And my wife is picking me up in Chicago,
Though lately we're talking about separating.
I'm crossing a distance to a distance,
And from what I've seen
There won't be any help from heaven.