Flying Lesson: Winds
by Dolores Hayden
Always take off into the wind.
Call the wind Conductor, Doctor,
compliment the way it smooths and soothes.
Warm fronts shift, cold fronts shift
faster, watch the leading edge. Measure
wind speeds you can see:
smoke drifts in light air; leaves
rustle in a light breeze; flags
flap in a gentle breeze; flags
snap in a moderate breeze. Saplings
sway in a fresh breeze; slim trees
shift in a strong breeze; stout trunks
move in a moderate gale.
Hangar your plane in a fresh gale.
Curse the wind: Barber, Bricklayer.
Clock how it whistles, whines
through your struts.
Learn the names:
Blue Norther, Santa Ana.
Map the places where winds scribble
their signatures over and over.
Always land into the wind.
Copyright © 2017 by Dolores Hayden.