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Open Poetry #48
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Spiros Zafiris
Senior Member
since 2002-10-20
Posts 982
Canada

0 posted 2012-12-26 09:31 PM



the co-pilot, seated on the left would scowl
the pilot was more amenable to small talk,
on this, our free ride: Miami to San Juan

the brother-in-law gave us a choice,
Puerto Rico or Equator
the ten or so days of our sleeping
on their living-room floor
were fun, the first three days
and he, a Miami airport guy,
offered one of two free flights

having chosen San Juan,
and not caring about the blood-thirsty Burmuda Triangle,
there we were:
in a C-24 cargo plane with its load
of five race horses, well stalled, well fed,
large, leather, hay-full pouches easily
accessible in front of each stall; one in front
and four others; two behind the first
and two others behind these; last
down, in the tail section, sat a man--
his job, caring for the horses

I don't know much about cargo planes
as a matter of fact, it may have been a C-26
but C-24 twirls my eyebrows more--
and I didn't expect it to be so cold up there

soon enough, I found out
we wouldn't arrive in jet-preen time,
perhaps in seven hours, or more

my love, cushion-comfy on the floor
next to the captain, stared, as I did,
to the everpresent, mountainous stars
housed not in mere magnificence but in abstract vision
you will learn much, staring at us,
we both knew we heard
by the briefest glance at each other's eyes

hour after hour fleeted,
my lovey fast asleep, captainside:
the first boom didn't startle
but the horses knew better
soon enough, the yoke started to jump
pilot and co-pilot, 30-year veterans,
tried to reveal only Calm
but the co-pilot started talking to
San Juan--I was to discover we
were, perhaps, forty minutes from the airport
then: neigh-EEEE, the horses
crazied themselves, each kicking
his stall--for, by now,
the one boom had transformed into:
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!--constant BOOMS
and the yoke seemed to fly off
the captain's hands

at one point, as the co-pilot rose,
I could swear he briefly pulled his hair,
as he went behind the cockpit--searching, searching

he found what he was looking for:
a 20-gallon can of fuel--but it could
have been only 10 or 15
my baby was still fast asleep--the horses,,
by now, had gone beserk--the caretaker silently sat
on his stool, at the very back

speedily, the co-pilot unwound the cup
of a thermas and handed it to me
I was thinking:they will never find our bodies
and almost dared to awaken lovey;
how she kept on sleeping was a case of
supernal intervention

and lo and behold, the co-pilot placed
a finger on a tiny hole, leading to the fuel tank
and ordered:hold the thermas cup and don't shake--
i'll fill it and you pour the fuel into the hole

there we were:
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!--constant BOOMS
heee-heee-heea--horses
voicing their concern
and with the first cup-full, I didn't spill
a drop--but there were more than two
hundred--perhaps three hundred to go

every time more than 7 drops skipped
the little hole, both the co-pilot and I
deathrattled in nightmares of unclogging vascular tease

we were twenty minutes away,
by this point, and the plane
started to hum
it must have been more than 280 thermas cup
loads, the little hole accepted--and
perhaps 3 or 4 spilled down

was, perhaps, 3:00 A.M. when we landed
my love started to awake as
the wheels hit the runway

the airport was quite empty
of passengers or, almost, anyone
I wasn't in a great hurry
to tell lovey

mostly, clearly, I remember
us passing the pilot and co-pilot, inside,
after a while, sitting on chairs facing a closed snack bar

such blank looks I've
never seen, before or after;
a crippled fuel gauge pin
almost killed the horses
~~
..Dec. 24,2012..(C) 2012 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Ram; reaching into
the poet's mind
~~

© Copyright 2012 Spiros Zafiris - All Rights Reserved
OwlSA
Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347
Durban, South Africa
1 posted 2012-12-27 07:25 AM


So glad that you and your lady and the horses were all right.  The poor darlings must have been terrified.  How could that man who was supposed to be looking after the horses just sit!  He should have been talking to and pacifying the horses.  Horses are very highly strung.  I hope they got over the terror in time, the precious sweetie-pies.

Owl

BluesSerenade
Member Patricius
since 2001-10-23
Posts 10549
By the Seaside
2 posted 2012-12-27 11:46 AM


Thank you for sharing this, I was fascinated by the turn of events...  I'm sure it's an experience you won't soon forget, and I am glad you are well.
Spiros Zafiris
Senior Member
since 2002-10-20
Posts 982
Canada
3 posted 2012-12-27 02:21 PM


Owl and  BluesSeranade..thanks  for reading this poem...i should have added, Owl, that  the man caring for the horses was somewhat in shock..Happy New Year.!..i might add, also, BluesSerenade, this
is an experience which happened a long, long
time ago..

..spiros

~~

latearrival
Member Ascendant
since 2003-03-21
Posts 5499
Florida
4 posted 2012-12-29 10:47 PM


Fantastic real life story.There must be a bit more. best to you, jo
Spiros Zafiris
Senior Member
since 2002-10-20
Posts 982
Canada
5 posted 2012-12-30 01:09 AM


..thanks Jo..i'm pleased you read and wanted
more..Happy New Year..!


..spiros
~~

ebonygirl
Member Elite
since 2011-07-14
Posts 2000
California U.S.A
6 posted 2012-12-30 02:13 AM


OMG! What an experience that was, Spiros!
Enjoyed the story,
Ms. E

Spiros Zafiris
Senior Member
since 2002-10-20
Posts 982
Canada
7 posted 2012-12-30 09:32 AM


..thanks Ms.E...i'm pleased you read..Happy
New Year..!


..spiros
~~

JamesMichael
Member Empyrean
since 1999-11-16
Posts 33336
Kapolei, Hawaii, USA
8 posted 2013-01-05 02:06 AM


Enjoyed reading this...James
Spiros Zafiris
Senior Member
since 2002-10-20
Posts 982
Canada
9 posted 2013-01-05 02:44 AM


..thanks James.all the best to you..>>spiros


~~

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