Second Verse, Not The Same As The First

Usually when the plane is over the water, it nosedives straight in, or explodes on the way down. This time, it was hovering, like a UFO on "Twilight Zone" or something.

It did fall into the water, right in front of my face, but I stayed calm this time. Still horrifying, still couldn't believe it was happening for real, this situation I'd dreamed about for years.

But it didn't explode; there was no fire. It just fell in. And you got the feeling that maybe it could have made it. Doom was less inevitable than usual.

And this time, there was a person. Soaked pilot pulled out of the water, intact. They gave him CPR, but it was too late; he'd drowned.

But he was in one piece. And the plane did not fall apart.

So maybe next time, if we just try a little harder...













©2007

Takeoffs Or Landings?

In my dreams, I see you at the foot of some mountains
And we're taking some pictures or something
And we'd better hurry up
It's late and the sun keeps shooting through pine trees
And the grass stains are wet on your new jeans
And we'd better hurry up

~ Rilo Kiley



I am sitting on a bus with my mother. She is one row behind me, to the right. We're discussing my intense fear of airplanes. She is saying, "I don't mind airplanes, but I hate the process of getting off the ground and into the air."

And because it is a dream, she says this, and I can feel it, the takeoff. The loud noise and craziness until that one moment where, *poof* -- you're in the sky.

"Ohhh," I reply. "Taking off doesn't give me nearly the same terror as landing. You just crash to the ground and bounce along until you ideally stop, and I can't breathe until the plane slows down and I know it's all over."

And I can feel that too.

Then as if reading each other's mind, we both look out the front windshield onto the ground and laugh, because the bus not only appears to be lacking a driver, but is winding around a very narrow mountain with no guardrails. How ironic and possibly jinxing to discuss the scariness of airplanes when there's no guarantee we're getting anywhere safely right now.

So I just hang on for the ride and pray for the best.













©2007