Member-only story
Somehow, We’re All Fine
A poem from the sky
I’m on an international flight to Europe — there is a group of orthodox Jewish men to my left. There is another group to my husband’s right. There is a French family two rows in front of us. A group of students from Kansas City sit behind us, chattering about how they’re excited to see Paris for the first time. Some are black, some are white. A mother wearing a hijab is trying to soothe her two children in a row of seats next to the windows. Her husband tries to get their iPad to play Bluey. The flight attendants speak English and French. Some speak additional languages as well. There is no fighting when others do not understand what is going on. There is no yelling when communication is halted, when words are misunderstood, and when mistakes are made.
Somehow, we find a way to coexist and ride in peace. When the shades are shut for the rest period, voices are hushed. Tiny nightlights glow. Parents murmur lullabies. People wait patiently for the bathrooms to be open, for drinks to be served, and for a flight attendant to get them a snack.
Somehow, even with a million different backstories converging in one tiny space, we’re all fine.
If you enjoyed this piece, check out my poetry book, “the poetry of things: poems for the tough & tender moments of life” — now available here at Bottlecap Press.
