View from the Sky

As we headed North to Chicago, following
the Mississippi, with the Earth far, far below,

the sun cast vivid rays across the land
and made the lakes glimmer gold,

scattered flakes of gold from the horizon
all the way to the snaking river.

We moved slowly through the air and sometimes
huge golden pelican heads winked a golden wink

and sometimes flaccid golden balloons lay there
with shiny golden rubber skin. At this altitude

we saw the soft curve of the Earth. And
as the clouds, like wispy pockets, sheathed

the golden flakes, one could have really looked out
the window and said: well, this is quite a perspective

if I ever have seen one before.