Fat lot of good it did me

I packed my bags three days before I was going away.

Passport in the zip pocket. No clothes or toiletries

becasue I'd buy fresh when I'd settled in. A book for the aeroplane,

the print out of the lady's daughter's address.and a gift for her,

wrapped up. Not much just a framed aerial photograph

of our market place to show her where I was from.

I'm such a nervous flyer and was more preoccupied

with the concept of metal soaring through the air above oceans

than what would happen after I landed.