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Satchel of Ordinaries

I sat quietly staring out the porthole window
As we were passing over a village in the low hills
A cumulus cloud casting over its ominous shadow
Far below in the silence of the engine’s shrills,  
I wondered where those tiny people were going 
Beneath the wing nary a songbird nor butterfly
Alone streaking through the frigid air, the Boeing,
Not a face lifted from village below to the sky
Then it was gone, as quickly as I had imagined,
I rummaged through my satchel of ordinaries
Forgetting a whole community of unexamined
Miniatures, no concern for untended cemeteries,
I had long forgotten when the plane descended
My sweet reveries in solitude, my journey ended. 

Written June 10, 2022
Submitted to "2022 Marathon Mile 1" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Mark Toney

Copyright © L Milton Hankins | Year Posted 2022

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Marco Chies Date: 6/12/2022 6:45:00 PM I particularly loved this poem. Kind of thing that makes me interested, wanting to know the outcome... Congratulations Milton, this made my day! Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 6/12/2022 6:49:00 PM It was a fleeting moment high above the earth (I'd say five miles or so) and that was about it. But it really gave me a perspective on how small everything is from just that high up. Microscopic from other planets, I would say. And, yes, we think we are so important! In terms of the universe, well.....I think not!

Caren Krutsinger Date: 6/11/2022 11:13:00 PM This makes me want to sit and ponder the life below me as I see people as ants from a catbird seat, Hank. Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 6/12/2022 9:52:00 AM And all of this makes me wonder how we must look to a God somewhere out there (who knows where)! Which makes me ponder our place in this huge cosmos. Hey, there are animals which are much larger than humans, and all of us are microscopic from one hundred miles up. Interesting, eh?

Tom Cunningham Date: 6/10/2022 1:39:00 PM I too wonder who lives in those villages in remote mountain communities in the middle of nowhere, what they do to survive etc. It certainly passes the time on a long flight. Enjoy your weekend Milton. Tom Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 6/10/2022 1:48:00 PM It's a great opportunity for wool-gathering. Thanks, Tom.

Eve Roper Date: 6/10/2022 1:22:00 PM Being on a plane for a few hours does make you ponder about things in your life. None unless you have a couple of passengers that are very chatty that are sitting by you , it does make the time go by faster.Enjoy reading Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 6/10/2022 1:49:00 PM True, Eve. I enjoy the peace and quiet, but I'm friendly to my seat mates.

Jenna Logan Date: 6/10/2022 11:51:00 AM "Satchel of ordinaries," Now there's a line that that speaks of being totally 'in the norm' of mundane life. Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 6/10/2022 11:53:00 AM I first called it "The Flight," but that phrase jumped out, so I retitled it.

Jenna Logan Date: 6/10/2022 11:18:00 AM Milt, this is an 'out of the norm' write for you, but I related to it's message. Things that we'd never think about sometimes drift into our mind, causing us to wonder about them. I've done it while sitting at red lights. "Where are these people going?" Or when drivers fly past me at speeds over 80, I wonder, "What could make you drive so fast that you risk your life and those of others." When that moment is gone, it's tossed from memory...another reverie ended. I like your change of pace. Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 6/10/2022 11:52:00 AM Thanks, Jenna. I'm not sure where this poem came from. I first thought about looking out the window of an airplane, then, it just seemed to come out. Yes, a change of pace.