The Flight That Is My Life

• Grace Cockroft, Grade 8
• Poetry
• 2022

I soar high above the ocean blue,
its surface is mesmerizing, like the heart of a human.
Deep, like emotion beyond words.
Purposeful, like passion untamed.

Two fighter jets flank me on both sides.
Powerful, like many minds together.
Dangerous, like actions fuelled by love.
Wings outstretched, stable, for now.

My bare hand pulls the thrust lever.
My breath comes out in ragged gasps as my jet soars high.
Pressure pins me to my seat,
Unrelenting like the intense desire for purpose.

My radio emits a crackled message: “aircraft carrier 12 o’clock”.
My wheels screech violently as I hit the airbase.
I exhale in ragged gasps.
The drill is over, the question is, how long until the drill becomes a mission.