HOBNOBBING WITH THE FIRMAMENT
The noisy motor spits and tugs
In little fits of chuggy-chugs,
With chuggy-chug—chug-chug—chug-chick,
Now chug and chick come double quick—
The stench of petrol it exhales
With reeking breath. The old prop's flails,
Like some titanic tabby's purr,
Churn 'round into a deafening whir.
Goliath! That's the breed of her—
You'll think so when you catch the stir
She kicks behind her in her wake
That moment when she starts to make
Her lovely take-off—once they've wheeled
Her into line upon the field!
In little fits of chuggy-chugs,
With chuggy-chug—chug-chug—chug-chick,
Now chug and chick come double quick—
The stench of petrol it exhales
With reeking breath. The old prop's flails,
Like some titanic tabby's purr,
Churn 'round into a deafening whir.
Goliath! That's the breed of her—
You'll think so when you catch the stir
She kicks behind her in her wake
That moment when she starts to make
Her lovely take-off—once they've wheeled
Her into line upon the field!
The Pilot, turning, cries "All set?"
You grab like cripes and yell "You bet!"
The grinning ground-men wave good-bye,
And gathering speed, the dragon-fly
Moves on. The turf's a blur—so swift
It flashes by. You feel no lift
And yet you rise—you only know
You float by seeing there below
The earth receding, while the air
Would gladly tear
The helmet from your goggled head.
You glimpse a house, a barn, a shed—
You grab like cripes and yell "You bet!"
The grinning ground-men wave good-bye,
And gathering speed, the dragon-fly
Moves on. The turf's a blur—so swift
It flashes by. You feel no lift
And yet you rise—you only know
You float by seeing there below
The earth receding, while the air
Would gladly tear
The helmet from your goggled head.
You glimpse a house, a barn, a shed—
[52]
