Brothers
Aeroplane Girl drank the
rice wine.
It was strong and sweet.
In time it lulled her.
Soothed her body.
It had been a long day
making aeroplanes.
She flew in her mind to high
places.
Saw all manner of things
lost and found.
Saw the warplanes fly low
over the sea.
Marveled how they steeply
climbed.
Flying between mountains
covered with trees.
Follow my leader turning and
weaving.
Was shocked when once
crashed.
Physically shook when she
saw the bombs explode.
Became confused when the
others flew on.
Her vision faded to
something anew.
Leaves formed a canopy
against the sky.
A sky so blue it made her
heart ache.
It was her sky where she
flew her aeroplanes.
A faint breeze rustled the
leaves.
There was a man, he was out
of breath.
He seemed to be going
somewhere.
But something happened to
stop him.
His large knife cut away
branches and leaves.
It hit something hard and
made a loud sound.
It wasn’t a rock or fallen
tree.
Something else made the
noise.
The man swung his machete
again.
Again it hit something else.
He stopped and looked
confused.
There should be nothing
here.
It wasn’t a rock outcrop.
Was it Yamashita’s gold?
No. It wouldn’t be up here.
Over a thousand metres up.
Everyone knew the gold was
by the sea in a cave.
This was something else.
He looked down at what his
blade had hit.
His eyes saw but his mind
did not believe.
There in the undergrowth was
a bent propeller blade.
Close by was an unexploded
bomb!
Confused, he shook his head.
He became alert and slowly
advanced.
And then he saw it…
…an aircraft.
It was smashed and broken
and in pieces.
Except the back part.
This was surprisingly large.
Twin fins still stood proud
against the sky.
Putting his knife down, he
entered.
For the rear section had
broken away.
And when inside the mountain
man saw.
Saw something worse than
terror acts.
Worse than shootings and
bombings.
There two skeletons next to
one another.
Both died as one after the
crash.
The shock of almost being
blown up left him.
And the amazement of finding
the plane vanished.
Sadness came from nowhere.
Filling his entire being.
For no words were needed.
What lay before him said it
all.
Two injured men had died
together.
Both from the plane’s tail
section.
He was aware others had
died.
The mountain man knew he was
the first here.
That nobody else knew of
this.
He left the plane and his
journey to the summit.
People must know of this.
He wondered who the men were.
What were their names?
On the island of war was
something from another war.
Found by a simple mountain
man.
Sadness filled Aeroplane Girl.
She snapped out of trance
and drank more wine.
Her visions left her
stunned.
They were from centuries
ago.
She resolutely promised
herself:
I will only ever fly my aeroplanes.
Never use them for war myself.
Not even a Gryphon.
Only for flight…
