Moving On
when the sun hits the horizon
tonight
I am going to flip it up like the coaster on the bar trick
overhanging soggy cardboard beer coaster
catch the finger tips and it rolls over and you grab it
right hand
left hand
both
stack one, stack two, stack three, stack until
you blow it and they scatter into the drink circles
where the coasters were
how many suns stacked in the queue
Airspace
“No, I don’t have my passport with me. I am an American citizen. Google my name or something. Florida driver’s license. Private pilot license. Property records. I don’t know, you’re the authority. I can’t explain it. Suddenly I just knew I could fly, and when I tried, I could. I mean I did. I didn’t really think it would work, but it worked. Something like that happens you don’t go back inside for your purse and pack a lunch."
There weren’t any smiles. There were only the staring, condemning, damning faces looking at me. No offers of a chair, no coffee, no drink of water. The white-coated nurse who had drawn the blood samples stood waiting by the door, avoiding eye contact.
The sensations were still strong. Take-off had been easy. I held my arms out like wings, and started running down the middle of the deserted road. A ridiculous feeling, and I thought too slow a speed for roll-out, but I lifted off as I lowered my head and my body shakily aligned. Flying, like my first solo, had always thrilled me. It had never slackened, the wonder of leaving the ground. But my body had never been the plane. I wondered what stall speed was as I maintained a slight head up pitch and gradually gained altitude to about 300 feet.
Certainty came back with the old flight training drills. Gingerly I banked to the left, full circle turn, and leveled off . Again, and now this time to the right. A bit of slippage, wasn't sure what to with my feet. It was tiring to point my toes, and my legs were heavy. I could feel the stall coming, no rudder, the vibration of the lift disappearing. I leaned down into it and speed returned. The altitude was going. The tree line was a wall. I banked sharply, recovered, and back to straight and level. Flight review.
I flew close to the edge of a low puff of summer cloud and felt the slight moisture cool on my skin. The land stretched away and the shoreline was beneath me. I flew along the line of calm blue and beach sand. The Inlet broke the line and I noticed the fishermen on the jetty looking up and pointing. Someone screamed, a faint but sharp trill in the swish of air, and some ran. I circled to see, but I was causing the increasing upoar.
I had landed like a wounded bird flopping into the water. No float plane rating for me. The Coast Guard pulled me from the water. The choppers, circled, the lights and sirens increased on the water and ashore. "Were you really flying?"
The lights are so bright. My head hurts, my shoulders have an ache like fire. They are talking again. Questions, demands, threats. Idly I notice the colorful rows of ribbons on the uniforms. Top dudes, I think.
How long had it been? Could I still fly? If I circled this room they would shoot me. Would sure be a short take-off. No windows. The power of flight and no freedom to use it. The freedom of flight and now no freedom. Probably dissect me as an alien life form. At the least unauthorized flight, airspace violation, no flight plan, aircraft not inspected - no aircraft. They were going to write a new book, and throw it at me.
Hold tight to the find
The surge flows over the reef. Shoreward it tugs, then seaward. I hold the sea bottom like the sea fans, the sea plants waving back and forth in the water flow. The fish move with grace around me, back and forth. The light of the treasure sun breaks into particles around the stirred up sediment.
The distant percussion of diesel engines is the bass. My bubbles flow from the regulator in if joining. My gloved hands tighten, but my body relaxes and joins the flow. The lead weights anchor my waist, but do not outweigh the mass of moving ocean.
I don't know if the boat is still there. The tempo has quickened. The flow, the surge, the incoming sea is wanting to break itself on the reef. Break itself and die like the ship. I hold the ancient timber. I feel the dark wood where the spikes have made the metal detector sound a siren song.
As forgotten as the history I hold, I wait. Someone will return, someone will return, echoes from ages past. I hold and the fish know, the fish stay with me. You signaled stay - but I am running out of air.
#diving #sea #treasure #shipwrecks
Joining
hush
swirl breaking the surface
hush
still pool swirl froth coming louder listen
out of the water splashing free the bells ringing into sun spray
heat so loud cold so quiet quiet quiet fingers on my skin
touch of dew
feather floating into my grasp
tell me take me hold me
shadows slide on the hollows of my body
sun heat burning burning slab of heavy light
go go let me go into the wild wind with you
tell me how
feed me take me into the water swirl
no no don’t go without me
speak the salt drops
lick the tears gather the light the dark into
the rainbow
no no you are here you are here don’t leave me
the words come to talk the words themselves are not mine
the words talk to me
yes now I am here you were always
joining
true life spirit blossoming with balance
sunsplashing free in salt drops
hush listen listen
hear our bells find us join us
Joining
hush
swirl breaking the surface
hush
still pool swirl froth coming louder listen
out of the water splashing free the bells ringing into sun spray
heat so loud cold so quiet quiet quiet fingers on my skin
touch of dew
feather floating into my grasp
tell me take me hold me
shadows slide on the hollows of my body
sun heat burning burning slab of heavy light
go go let me go into the wild wind with you
tell me how
feed me take me into the water swirl
no no don't go without me
speak the salt drops
lick the tears gather the light the dark into
the rainbow
no no you are here you are here don't leave me
the words come to talk the words themselves are not mine
the words talk to me
yes now I am here you were always
joining
true life spirit blossoming with balance
sunsplashing free in salt drops
hush listen listen
hear our bells find us join us
Repair
she stood alone in the photo
in a day of green grass
when her hair was red
a scar scratched down from the sun
caught part of her shoe
left a severed hand
on her shoulder
she stood alone in the photo
when the grass was green
her hair red
photo edged in roughness
incomplete
the mirror gleamed like a new sun
reflecting the shining interior space
the hand on her shoulder
the man and woman smiling
under the transparent tape
Strict Confidence
Let’s talk. I heard the news yesterday. He called and told me himself. You know he is very high up and can be relied upon. No, I do not have it in writing. No, I did not tape the conversation. This is big. This is a game-changer.
Remember how long we have waited for news like this. Everyone is going to explode when they find out. But right now, we can not let a word leak out. We can say nothing. This is between us only.
I know you have the understanding to say nothing about this to anyone. He told me not to tell anyone. He told me how important it was that no news escaped before the right time. I know you will not tell anyone, and I know I can rely on your discretion.
I am only telling you and Paul, of course. Paul is extremely loyal. Paul does discuss these matters with his wife, but she doesn’t know any of the players. I am sure she will say nothing to anyone. In my excitement, I mentioned it to Gene. If he says anything to you, let me know.
Let’s talk now. Remember you can not tell anyone.