I see a clearing
It's big enough to land in
The grass is short
No rocks or bumps
It's all clear for landing
My heart beats in panic
Tears of sweat run down my face
Fear grips my body
In expectant embrace
The engine splutters and coughs
Bangs erupt from broken wings
I hear my own screams
The smoke is acrid in flared nostrils
My flesh burning, stinks
Ah! I savour a touchdown, touche!
Four hours now we'd been in the air
And soon we would come in to land
Then over the tannoy
The captain calmly said
"Landing gears stuck the wheels won't drop
Brace yourselves for a crash landing*.
Written 24th May 2020.
For Hexastitch it poetry contest.
Sponsored By Nette Onclaud.
On my first day in a car factory
A simple girl threw herself at me
I guess I was standing
Too close to the landing
Of the car filled with crash test dummies