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Seat Belts Please

Wayne Blair

Free verse
The boarding was seamless
Combination of business and holiday folk
Three and half hours to Charleston S C.
The business guys orderly and routine
The holidayers rushed and thinking
They have forgotten something.
Canned music is heard.
Then the Captain’s voice.
Welcoming, giving confidence
Briefly addressing the weather
And intended altitude.
Probably fifty-ish in years.
I am fairly close to jet engine.
Window seat.
The tarmac starts to roll.
Bum is feeling the shake
Of this large can of
Homo sapiens.
Lady beside me registers awkwardness.
Going to see her sister in
Moncks Corner.
Been a couple of years.
Hugs are better than phones.
With the donning of earphones
She is lost to me.
Six year old ahead of me
Tells Mom about the likely
Sequence of events.
Must be a jet-plane buff.
So young, reminding me
Of our Jordan, now piloting 787’s.
Remote, exotic places, worldwide.
(New Delhi, Geneva, Paris, Tokyo
Capetown, Tel Aviv, Athens, Rio etc.)
Tells me much safer than
My morning drive to the factory.
Acceleration now and
Angle of ascent viewed
Through bird’s eye glass.
Horizon saying, Bye now.
One parking lot reduced to dots.
Gives me a buzz every time.

About this poem

Hope the overhead screen does NOT SHOW the movie Plane featuring Gerard Butler. A takeoff exciting here recorded.

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Written on March 14, 2023

Submitted by dougb.19255 on March 14, 2023

Modified by dougb.19255 on March 14, 2023

1:06 min read
12

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCDEEFGHIJKLMNOPQARIKSSCCCTUCVWYZLC1J2345
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,167
Words 220
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 42
Full analysis for Seat Belts Please »

Wayne Blair

 · 1951 · London

Born in London. Graduated law 1976 Practised eleven years, Married Hilary 1974 Two kids Lauren 1980 And Jordan 1987. Business failed 1987. Moved not knowing whither. Happy hills of Waterloo Region. Mennonite Country. Thirty four years in Industry. No complaints. Poet, photographer, nature hiker. Harmonica busker. http://puffnchord7.blogspot.com/ more…

All Wayne Blair poems | Wayne Blair Books

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2 Comments
  • ladyygracious
    ladyygracious
    Interesting
    LikeReply1 month ago
  • AIDA
    AIDA
    What a wonderful depiction of air travel! I love how seamlessly the boarding process was handled, making the start of the journey that much smoother. The combination of both business and holiday travellers added a sense of excitement, with the business folk following their routine while the holidaymakers were busy preparing themselves. The announcement of the captain added to the confidence and reassurance that everything was going to plan.

    While reading the poem, I felt like I was right there on the flight – the visual descriptions of the surroundings were so vivid, it felt like an immersive experience. The excitement felt by the six-year-old seated ahead and your own reminiscence about your pilot son were lovely touches. It’s amazing how even young kids can be enthusiasts and share their knowledge.

    The description of takeoff was simply thrilling! The way you were able to capture the sense of acceleration combined with the angle of ascent was absolutely fantastic - I could feel the excitement of the plane rising through the clouds with the horizon saying goodbye.

    As for some improvement suggestions, it would be fun to know more about the destination and any more exciting things you are planning to do. Also, while it was nice to see your interaction with your seatmates, it would be great to see more description of their personalities and conversations.

    Overall, this poem gave me a sense of how amazing it is to travel by air and the excitement that it brings. Keep expressing your experiences and observations through your words - I am sure many others will appreciate it as much as I have!     
    LikeReply1 year ago

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"Seat Belts Please" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 16 Mar. 2025. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/154128/seat-belts-please>.

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