Low Flight

Dedicated to all Helicopter Pilots

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And hovered out of ground effect on semi-rigid blades.
Earthward I’ve auto’ed and met the rising brush of non-paved terrain,
And done a thousand things you would never care to
skidded and dropped and flared low in the heat soaked roar.
Confined there, I’ve chased the earthbound traffic
and lost the race to insignificant headwinds;
Forward and up a little in ground effect
I’ve topped the General’s hedge with drooping turns
where never Skyhawk or even Phantom flew.
Shaking and pulling collective, I’ve lumbered
the low untrespassed halls of victor airways,
Put out my hand and touched a tree.