Day 14. June 13, 1970 First Solo

Scene, camera pans:

The sky dominates the eye

endless blue, qauzy wisps of clouds strewn high and thin.

The only structure interrupting the vastness 

is the glassy black control tower,

cumbrous in this flat landscape.

The tarmac is matte black and dotted with tiny planes

Toy-like, they are long-winged, and snub-nosed. 

Flashes of summer sun glinting off their propellers

give the scene a brief feel of the beach.

Action: the camera zooms in on a green striped plane, barely wide enough to seat two,

Long-limbed, summer blond,

the flight instructor slams the passenger door, nods briefly

and strolls away to wait in the flight office.

{FIRST SOLO flashes on screen.}

A close-up of the pilot reveals a gawky 16 year old girl

holding a slip of paper labeled “Cessna 150 Checklist” in trembling fingers.

Squinting, she adjusts switches, turns knobs, peruses the instrument panel.

She chants,”Mixture rich, carburetor heat cold, radios off, master switch on, open throttle, clear prop!”

and the engine roars suddenly to life,

shattering the quiet and sending a cawing crow soaring.

Closeup camera: the plane is vibrating, idling on the huge painted 6 at the end of the runway, prop spinning, 

Inside the cockpit, the pilot sits erect, tense, almost holding her breath.

We hear “Two-six whisky, cleared for takeoff”

Then the film goes silent.

Point-of-view camera inside the cockpit, as though seated in the passenger seat

Baby blue sky, 

yellow sun, 

Cotton clouds.

Yellow sun,

Blue sky

Forgotten clouds

Color and light dance together 

then fly apart.

A whirling twirling

kaleidoscope of movement.

Green below

Blue above

And in between,

a winged, breathing thing

Flight 

Fade-out to white.

Prompt: Write a poem that takes the form of the opening scene of the movie of your life.