10-30-2020, 10:58 PM
The Strange Orange Glow
Red-eye flight near midnight
Over France
From a thunderstorm beneath, raging
Nauseated Captain Ashton
In rising streaks lightning flashed
The gauges—
Of fuel there was pounds of plenty
Altitude stable, steady
Speed
Still weird
Visibility low except the moon
Staring like an eye
On the controls his sweaty grip tightened
Breath was shuddering
Thunderheads growled from their bellies
As though they were hungry
The stench of his body odor
On his tongue lingered the taste of tuna
Deep breath “Not much longer now.”
Close to the plane, something flew by
Didn’t see what
He felt it “Did you see that?”
“Nearly hit us.”
From the cabin screams
From the cockpit door a stewardess shook
“Out there’s an odd-looking plane.”
“Buzzing close.”
“An old dog-fighter.”
The pilots shared a look
From a gunner’s turret bullets flew
With hands she gestured
“Flag on the side.”
Ablaze with a glow of orange
Every inch
Nervously rubbing her hands
Hysteria
“What I saw inside
“A man like a skull
“He was flying
“Another skeleton, a gunner, firing.”
Ashton stood up “Take over.”
Held the woman by the arm “Get some water
“Try and calm down the pass-“
“Captain! Look!”
The plane
All aglow skimmed the nose
Ashton saw the reaper-faced man
It crossed itself like a Catholic in prayer
In a bomber’s jacket he gave a thumbs-up
On the nose of the fighter a shark’s evil grin “Oh my God.”
Back down he sat with headphones on
Switches were pressed “Landing emergency.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ashton looked “Take their seats. Heads in their knees.
“Land in an airfield nearby.”
She left
Her voice “Turn off devices. Position upright.
“Fasten your safety belt.”
The strange orange glow rushed head-on
Ashton screamed
Closing his eyes
Covering his face
It disappeared
Heard it was a ghost
Shot out of the sky
Between France and Germany
The Western Front
Champagne
The phantom plane he saw another year
The stewardess at his side.
Happy Halloween!
Red-eye flight near midnight
Over France
From a thunderstorm beneath, raging
Nauseated Captain Ashton
In rising streaks lightning flashed
The gauges—
Of fuel there was pounds of plenty
Altitude stable, steady
Speed
Still weird
Visibility low except the moon
Staring like an eye
On the controls his sweaty grip tightened
Breath was shuddering
Thunderheads growled from their bellies
As though they were hungry
The stench of his body odor
On his tongue lingered the taste of tuna
Deep breath “Not much longer now.”
Close to the plane, something flew by
Didn’t see what
He felt it “Did you see that?”
“Nearly hit us.”
From the cabin screams
From the cockpit door a stewardess shook
“Out there’s an odd-looking plane.”
“Buzzing close.”
“An old dog-fighter.”
The pilots shared a look
From a gunner’s turret bullets flew
With hands she gestured
“Flag on the side.”
Ablaze with a glow of orange
Every inch
Nervously rubbing her hands
Hysteria
“What I saw inside
“A man like a skull
“He was flying
“Another skeleton, a gunner, firing.”
Ashton stood up “Take over.”
Held the woman by the arm “Get some water
“Try and calm down the pass-“
“Captain! Look!”
The plane
All aglow skimmed the nose
Ashton saw the reaper-faced man
It crossed itself like a Catholic in prayer
In a bomber’s jacket he gave a thumbs-up
On the nose of the fighter a shark’s evil grin “Oh my God.”
Back down he sat with headphones on
Switches were pressed “Landing emergency.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ashton looked “Take their seats. Heads in their knees.
“Land in an airfield nearby.”
She left
Her voice “Turn off devices. Position upright.
“Fasten your safety belt.”
The strange orange glow rushed head-on
Ashton screamed
Closing his eyes
Covering his face
It disappeared
Heard it was a ghost
Shot out of the sky
Between France and Germany
The Western Front
Champagne
The phantom plane he saw another year
The stewardess at his side.
Happy Halloween!