poem “Before Taking Over the Controls (2015 edit)”, an edited poem based on a 2012 poem, but about the different things you can go through with an airplane, poem By Chicago Poet Janet Kuypers

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Before Taking
Over the Controls
2015 edit
Janet Kuypers
based on Before Taking Over the Controls”,
which was written 12/29/09, edited 5/21/15
Once I was flying to New Orleans
with a cute-as-a-button girl from Kentucky —
she was a riot to hang around with,
but she was deathly afraid of flying.
and I knew her fear,
so for this flight, back before nine eleven,
I brought to the airport a 32 ounce cup
of hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps.
She said she was afraid,
so I told her to enjoy some drink.
I̵m flown with friends afraid of heights,
I̵ve flown to jump out of an airplane.
I was even trained and piloted an airplane...
I̵ve flown to see the Aurora Borealis in Alaska,
but I̵ve even seen the Aurora Borealis
from above, from my window,
over Greenland in the middle of the night.
It̵s amazing how flying
lets you see so much of the world,
but I have to admit,
it̵s an added bonus
when you can sip on hot chocolate
before you take off, to the sky.