Skydive Poem by Thomas Plotz

We learn to fall
To take a tumble, twist and turn
First learned – ground bound
On scooters and mockup of
Planes - to practice jump routines

Folding shuts of colored silk
Colors of blue and milky white
Folded tight in the pack
Ready for deployment

Now we’re, cramming ourselves into the plane
To give us altitude, for the attitude we seek
At 11,000 feet, the air is 60.5 degrees
Cooled then ground from which we came,
Or 5.5 degrees cooler for every 1,000 feet AGL
(At ground level)

Then once our ride levels off, we say adieu to
Our friendly pilot, we step off bound for earth again

Maneuvers learned, and practice on the ground
Will now be applied
Recalled, and remembered - falling free
Patterns learned, paying homage to the sky
Counting as time goes by
For this rush, is just seconds long
Till the next stage of the parade, Belongs!

The shoots have opened
Envelopes of airfoils deployed
Spoiling of the air to slide
Now we need to decide, how
To glide, till touching down
Upon the ground

Floating into the wind to slow us down or
Corkscrewing left then right
Gain speed, and then skim a foot above
The green grassy field
Holding to Stay aloft,
Till the forward speed, slows to a stall, as we yield
Then we must summit to the end;

The end, of the fall,
From where we began, and
Learned it all

T. Plotz

Skydive
May 24,2015