Oh, the joy of emerging above a cover of cloud!
It’s like bursting from darkness into light,
Leaving life’s stressors back down below
As the plane ascends into endless blue skies.
Over the ocean, no land in sight, the sky below clears.
Vast, grey seas stretch beyond the horizon.
Miles of endless waves form a rough surface,
Like an empty playground in the mid-afternoon.
The day lengthens and the seascape transforms.
Small puffs of white appear, solitary at first
Hovering over the water, each with its own shadow
Further on, clouds grow in size and number.
They draw near to each other, the gaps closing ove,r
Wrapping the sea in a fluffy white blanket.
Clouds become shadowy mountain ranges,
Brightly lit peaks towering over dark valleys.
As the sun becomes tired, the colours change.
Vivid blue blends into burnt orange and crimson red.
The last burst of sunlight disappears below the blanket of cloud.
Day becomes night as the sky descends into darkness.
Background noise intensifies as the air pressure changes.
Fields of light appear in darkness below.
The descent ends with the thud of landing on the tarmac.
Now the flight is over, the real journey begins.
