We headed out early for the airport for our return flight. Security is always an issue that takes up time before travel and hubby was notified at the outside gate that he had been "randomly" selected for an extra security check. The blue-eyed, bald-headed guy with the effusive personality is definitely the Politically Correct choice! (Do not get me started on TSA and their dysfunctional efforts.) Anyway, mid-way through the first security check they whisked hubby away and I had to head out to the gate by myself. At this early time the gate chairs were only half full and I sat and read my Kindle... for a while. Time passed slowly and so I went to peruse the shops for some last minute chocolate. Instead I found this book. According to the back cover, Frances-Marie Coke was born in Jamaica. She is a Human Resource Management Consultant and has lectured at the University of the West Indies. This is her second collection of published poems.
As a collector of poetry (that is NOT in electronic form) I perused it only briefly before deciding that it would be my souvenir to take home and my companion on the plane in case they decided to keep my husband. Below is a sample of one of my favorite passages from this book of poetry.
I had read a few pages when my husband finally showed up with his bags and sat next to me just as they began the call for boarding. Within seconds he was called up to the gate desk and then motioned to me that he was going to go through one more security check (number three) and that I should just board without him! (What a waste of taxpayer money!) Fortunately we both made the flight and they allowed us to sit together and treated us like normal passengers from then on out, whatever that means.
As a collector of poetry (that is NOT in electronic form) I perused it only briefly before deciding that it would be my souvenir to take home and my companion on the plane in case they decided to keep my husband. Below is a sample of one of my favorite passages from this book of poetry.
Lonely Is
...a river where the ripples have no stones,
a shadow lengthening down a slender room,
a lullaby without an infant's eyes
fluttering to sleep; lonely is
the stillness of a loveless April evening;
a night of silence broken
by a fan that makes no difference;
a leaf entangled in a spider's web;
a thread unraveled from its weave.
You made a good choice.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry, my next vacations choices will be by train or boat. Sigh. Lovely poetry.
ReplyDeleteMy husband got put on one of those lists sometime after 9/11 which always means he is hassled. He doesn't look Arabic but he does have an Irish name. There is no way to get off one of the lists either! You cannot prove you are innocent and the lists are so extensive that they can't possibly be checking them all. Logic is no part of this.
ReplyDeleteThe poem is so poignant, but somehow reading something so beautiful makes me feel connected to the author. Love the idea of a Kindle to use for travel - but cannot make up my mind.
ReplyDeleteoh, I'd never heard of this poet.. thank you.
ReplyDeleteand also.
thank you for your kind words. they meant a lot.
and you sound so calm re this? boarding without him I think that would freak me out.
We just don't want to fly these days--although I know sometimes one HAS to.... We changed our big trip for this coming Summer from Alaska to the Grand Canyon. We won't have to FLY --and we can drive and take our time along the way. We plan to be gone about 3 weeks.. Should be marvelous.
ReplyDeleteI still want to see Alaska someday --but this just wasn't the year.
Hugs,
Betsy
Sounds like you chose a good souvenir. I would feel nervous boarding alone.. wondering.. worrying.
ReplyDeleteA very good souvenir!
ReplyDeleteA security check like this would have really unsettled me. You seemed so calm through this. Like the poem....
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely poem you reproduced here.
ReplyDeleteA new writer to explore.
I expect they were just practising on a safe passenger.
Love her description of loneliness!She made me feel it.
ReplyDelete