Rivets of the Sky

Steel in the morning,

Cold to the touch,

Tracing the surface,

Trusting so much

Wings of an airframe,

Lines clean and tight,

Holding together,

Dreams of first flight

Things we don’t see,

Things holding fast,

Forces that pull,

Echoing past

Modern day alchemy,

Metal meets air,

I’ve been observing,

Stress everywhere

Walking the hangar,

Listening close,

Hearing the hum,

That matters most

Feeling the tension,

Loads in the skin,

Riding the limits,

Pressure within

Quiet and strong,

A silent force,

Mysterious bonds,

Holding the course

Hidden in joints,

Buried in seams,

Not understanding,

How vital they seem

Moth to the sky,

Sky pulling harder,

Knowing we trust,

Every fastener

Highly precise,

Engineered will,

Piercing the noise,

Holding still

Watching it lift,

Where will it go?

What will it face?

Forces unknown

The strain in the frame,

What does it mean?

She’s taking the load,

Unseen but unseen

Seeing beyond,

Numbers and charts,

Trusting the craft,

Built from its parts

Beautiful systems,

Balanced and true,

Wished for the moment,

We always knew

Paused on the runway,

Engines aligned,

Holding that breath,

A moment in time

Caught in the climb,

Dancing with air,

Structures keep rhythm,

Loads everywhere

Wanting to linger,

Watch as it flies,

Unravel the secrets,

Hidden inside

Knowing is feeling,

Metal won’t lie,

Things that we built,

Either hold or they cry

Wings of a machine,

New point of view,

What do you carry,

Through endless blue?

This weight that you bear,

It’s not for the weak,

When forces collide,

There’s truths that we seek

What do we want?

You want to know.

Yes, there are answers,

Tested slow

Moment of truth,

Will it endure?

Will it return,

Still tight, still pure?

Structures are mirrors,

They reflect us,

They show the care,

Or the rush

Seeking the sky,

Sky seeking back,

Trusting the joints,

Along the track

Beyond the spec,

Beyond the page,

Beyond the things,

That fail with age

Close to the edge,

Close to the limit,

Met the air,

Did not bend in it

Cue the ascent,

Sun on the skin,

Every fastener,

Holding within

Close your eyes,

Take the chance,

Trust what was built,

In that first advance