Flight
By MH
The noise is deafening.
My heart pounding in my chest,
Louder than the sound of the plane’s engines.
Excitement, anxiety, longing is excruciating.
People all around me: so close, yet so far.
A sound came and added the excruciating wait
Announcing, “We will shortly depart. Fasten in your seat.”
This flight is not just my freedom flight.
This flight has taken me home.
This flight has taken me to where I took my first breath.
This flight has taken me to where my eyes first opened and saw the light.
This flight has taken me to the Tigris River: to where I took my first sip of water.
This flight has taken me to where I took my first steps on this beautiful earth.
This flight has taken me to my family: to their hearts and eyes.
This flight has taken me to my friends, to my neighborhood, to my city.
This flight has taken me to regain my memory.
In every person and corner of the city,
The memories are forever alive: the tragedies and happiness.
This flight has taken me to the soccer field I played on and the joy it brought.
To the marketplace; to the schools I attended.
This flight has taken me to where a young heart fell in love, innocent and pure.
This flight has tak…
Suddenly something is pulling me out of my seat
A noise—a horrible, familiar noise came!
The sound of the prison officer’s keys clinging wakes me.
I awake to find myself back in a cell, and it was but a dream.
I will never stop dreaming until my dream becomes a reality.
I will keep the ticket and reschedule my flight.
16 Comments
Leave a Comment
The poets featured here are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem. Messages will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.
Oh, M.H., this is so beautiful. What a way to describe a dream in poetry. Your use of “This flight has taken me…” sentences (I think that is a great example of anaphora.) is so powerful. And then the disrupted sentence when you are awaken from sleep is very effective. That closer is the best, though:
“I will keep the ticket and reschedule my flight.” Amen! Good for you being strong and making the Ancestors proud.
I love this. Great use of repetition to create rhythm and anticipation leading to the breaking point.
Excellent world building too, we see what you see and understand what it means to you.
Very powerful message about hope, determination and inner strength.
Keep writing, be it for yourself or others, it’s a great healing tool and I very much enjoyed reading you.
I really enjoyed reading your poem! One thing I would change is for the line “A sound came and added the excruciating wait”, I would say “added to the excruciating wait”. Other than that, I really liked the structure and words you used to describe your feelings.
Hi MH,
Your poem “Flight” is amazing.!!! By reading your poem, I “see” you sitting in your freedom seat and flying to your home, to where you took your first breath, to your family, your friends….. your poem is so rich and vivid in a few words. I seem to see you running on the soccer field, you sipping the water in your hometown’s river; I see your “tragedies and happiness”. And I “see” the reality of your situation by “The prison officer’s keys clinging wakes” you up.
Though your poem “Flight”, I see a simple and beautiful soul. If I didn’t describe the beauty of your poem, it could only be my English problem (English is not my native language.) I don’t know who you are and what mistake you made in your life, but I believe that you are very smart and you have a kind heart deep down. You are a genius! I feel very lucky to have read your poem. Thank you!
Mei
Hi MH,
This is the second time for me to tell you that your poem is amazing! Were you a poet? Or did you major in literature in college? Your “flight” takes me to your home, to your family, to your friends, to your school, to your hometown, to your childhood.I seemed to see a pure and naughty boy and his loved family and friends.His heart is so soft his dream is so beautiful. Thank you! I had a great time on your “Flight”!
hongmei
This poem represents someone leaving somewhere they felt stuck and finally feeling the freedom they’ve been wanting.
Hi MH!
This is such a beautiful poem, I can feel the anxiety and restlessness from the descriptors in the beginning.
From what I see, the flight is taking one home and bringing clarity to their happiest places and the fight for their dream reality. It’s a beautiful poem about aspirations and hope. I really love it for the dreamy aura and the alliteration.
This poem moved me and was beautifully written. The details brought me into the scene with you and I really enjoyed reading it. I wish you the absolute best.
Keeping dreaming because the vision that you see in your dreams is what you shall become. Hold on to that ticket.
So much evocative imagery, these words were playing out in my head like scenes from a movie. To be jarred from that, and then that last line; so moving. Keep holding on that hope.
I love that you use a dream to explore these feelings, you give a great visual and each line to continue to describe it like it is playing out right in front of me. Awesome job!
Woah this poem was a journey! You did so well to describe all of the important aspects that flying home would bring, I felt like I was on the plane with you just as excited to watch you land and experience all of these things. It was a heartbreaking turn when you woke up to hear the key jingling, but I am so impressed by your strength to “reschedule your flight” and keep your head up. Excellent work, truly.
I like how the poem highlights parts of your life chronologically. They sound very special and important to you.
Hi MH,
This poem is so incredibly creative! I love how I was unsure what “this flight” was. I read it more literally, but either way, I knew it was important because of all the beautiful places and memories it took you. The twist at the end—learning that “this flight” are actually dreams—made me sit up in my seat. You revealed it in such a great way, too. The line “A noise—a horrible, familiar noise came!” has a lot of depth to it. Most people would associate familiarity with comfort, but for you it’s the opposite. The ending of this poem is wonderful, too; I’m glad you’re keeping your ticket.
Your poem captures the longing for freedom and home, vividly portraying memories of love, joy, and life’s beginnings. The sudden shift from dream to reality is heartbreaking, but the determination to keep dreaming and hoping for a return is powerful. It’s a beautiful reflection on resilience and the enduring hope for freedom. Wonderful poem, I loved it a lot!
Your words paint such a vivid picture of longing and hope. The dream of returning home, of reconnecting with your roots and loved ones, is incredibly powerful. Even though you woke up in your cell, your determination to hold onto that dream and make it a reality is inspiring. Keep that ticket close, and never stop believing in your journey home.