Not uncommon in January, we are having a warm spell. But because of all the snow and then rain, it has become unusually balmy. And balmy weather is magical—it is as if there is a blanket of moist air hugging you and giving you love. My strongest sensations of balmy magic are from Hawaii. As soon as you step off the plane from the states, you are welcomed with a loving embrace of humidity—as well as the tropical scents of flora and mellow music of slack-key guitar if you are lucky. Now I understand that many people don’t like humid weather and sure the dampness can get to you if it is really hot or the condition is sustained. But with temperatures in the 50s or 60s and particularly after a cold snap, balmy weather is lovely and comforting. Enjoy it for these next few days before winter returns.
Ode to the Air Traffic Controller
by Joshua Beckman
Melbourne, Perth, Darwin, Townsville,
Belém, Durban, Lima, Xai-Xai planes
with wingspans big as high schools
eight hundred nine hundred tons a piece
gone like pollen, cumulus cirrus
altostratus nimbostratus people getting skinny
just trying to lose weight and the sky
the biggest thing anyone ever thought of
Acceptance, Vancouver, Tehran, Maui
school children balloons light blue nothing
one goes away not forever, in fact
most people, at least if you are flying
Delta, come down in Salt Lake City
Fairbanks, Kobe, Aukland, Anchorage
from Cleveland a hundred Hawaii-bound Germans
are coming in low, not to say too low
just low pull up Amsterdam pull up Miami
historically a very high-strung bunch
smokers eaters tiny planes must circle
we have bigger problems on our hands
New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris
the boy who has been ignoring dinner
throws thirteen paper planes out the window
does it look like this? Tashkent, Nome, Rio,
Hobart, yes yes it looks just like that
now do your homework Capetown Capetown
lots of rain good on one good on two
go three go four go five go six
Mau, Brak, Zella, Ghat, an African parade
good on two good on three
please speak English please speak English
good on five good on six gentlemen:
the world will let us down many times
but it will never run out of coffee
hooray! for Lagos, Accra, Freetown, Dakar
your son is on the telephone the Germans
landed safely Seattle off to Istanbul
tiny planes please circle oh tiny planes
do please please circle
XOXO Rachel
Wondrance 