The Long Journey
When We Could Travel: A Poem
walking, dragging baggage through the dark morning. over calm waters, islands float by as we break our fast. the wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round, yet another mode of transport on this journey. coffee revives us. train tickets purchased, bags stowed, memories of times passed, shared, and laughed over. not so secret kisses, caressing hands. that familiar airport, bustle, hustle. time together, waiting for the plane. the short leg. movies and a little sleep. landing in the dark, the warmth engulfs us, a stark contrast to the chill air left behind. another bus, standing close, queues, a train. we wait. we wait. plane seats found, the long leg now. sleep engulfs us, wave-like. awake again. more films and series, food (quite nice), watching progress on the map as we fly across the world. to another time, another place. landing, finally, then customs, bags. late at night, our family from this other side collects us. hugs and smiles. yawn. snaking roads take us to our bed. horizontal at last.
There was a time we could travel. Remember that? We could book a flight, pack our bags and head off into the world. I wrote this in December 2019. A lifetime ago. Or so it seems anyway… I don’t know when I’ll next see my family who live on the other side of the world. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
~thanks for reading~
Lisa writes poetry and other musings from her home in Finland. Hailing from Australia, she draws on her experience as a Literature and History teacher, avid reader, and world traveller, as well as inspiration from nature, and the daily emotions and feelings of life, to write her stories. If you’d like to keep in touch, sign up for Northern Notes.
