Safer in the Sky (Bi+ Poetry)

Boarding the plane, a young man takes his seat,

Contemplating safety in this sky-bound retreat.

In the clouds, every risk is meticulously tracked, Flight and fate in careful equations are packed.

Here, every beep and flash, they monitor with care, A plane, a hundred-million-dollar baby, is cradled through the air.

“Takeoff!” He breathes out and worries subtly.

“Flying is safe — that’s what statistics say,”

“Follow the math,” the person next to him chuckles away.

As the plane ascends, so does his contemplation —

A growing awareness of the distance between “up here” and “down there.”

Suspended between earth and sky, a respite from the noise.

“Yes, follow the math. Perhaps I’m safer in the sky. My life tells a different tale on the ground, A story of strife where systems fail.”

“If something happens to one of these, it makes national news.” The stranger’s comment activates his identities.

Amid the quiet hum of the cabin, his thoughts begin to spiral, A mind in turmoil, “follow the numbers,” “safety,” “statistics,” “news” — he spirals.