. . . a helo pilot's lament
Oh, I have lifted vertically from the ground
And humbly joined the sky while wings
Swept round.
Forward I've flown, while closely hugging earth
Beneath the clouds, and done a hundred things
you would not dare do:
Autoed, hoisted and beeped while challenging
death.
Hovering there I've fought the shifting winds
around
And forced my balking craft through fearful
turbulent air
Down amongst the low awaiting fog --
I've stayed above the sea
Through skill - where never goat
nor even C-130 flew
And while with silent humble stance,
I've listened to the men who fly
on high
I've lowered my head and taken their abuse
And somewhere God looked at me
and smiled
The Silver Eagle
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And hovered out of ground effect on semi-rigid blades;
Earthward I've auto'ed and met the rising brush of
Non-paved terrain;
And done a thousand things you would never care to -
Skidded and dropped and flared
Low in the heat soaked roar.
Confined there, I've chased the earthbound traffic
And lost the race to insignificant headwinds;
Forward and up a little in ground effect
I've topped the General's hedge with drooping turns
Where never Skyhawk -or even Phantom flew.
Shaking and pulling collective, I've lumbered
The low untrespassed Halls of Victor Airways
Put out my hand and touched a tree.
Unknown
