I don’t know how to explain 35,000 feet—
all I can say is it’s very high—yes, far above
our house and those trees, but no, not beyond
the moon or the stars—and how far are those?
but I don’t know how to explain that either.
When will he be back?—so I count the days,
point to them on the calendar—what is it like
in the sky?—I say I know it’s cold and difficult
to breathe, but I don’t know how to explain
50 below or the partial pressure of oxygen.
She pretends to be an airplane—can I skydive?—
and I say when you are much older, but I don’t
know if I’d want her to—she counts backwards
then jumps her couple inches—and my heart
rises before it falls back into place again.
Lisa Stice is a poet, literary activist, mother, military spouse, and the author of four full-length poetry collections, Letters from Conflict (Middle West Press, 2024), Forces (Middle West Press, 2021), Permanent Change of Station (Middle West Press, 2018), and Uniform (Aldrich Press, 2016), and a chapbook, Desert(Prolific Press, 2018). She volunteers as a mentor and editor for various journals/presses/organizations. She received a BA in English literature from Mesa State College (now Colorado Mesa University) and an MFA in creative writing and literary arts from the University of Alaska Anchorage. While it is difficult to say where home is, she currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, daughter, and dog. @LisaSticePoet and lisastice.wordpress.com
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