Austin In The Air

An ode to Austin, Texas, forever my home no matter where I go.

Austin in the air,

miniature.

 

The towers and lakes are

miniature.

 

A vast land,

sheer distance in a plane window

streams below my feet.

 

The higher I fly

makes smaller the immediate

effects of an impressed city,

and larger the land it burrows.

 

Austin, Texas and its spring bluebonnets

and Indian paint brush wild fire flowers

sprung on Loop 1’s hillside,

more so in the Hill Country

and its western spurious lakes,

greenbelts and natural soul springs.

 

The longer I look, and study the landscape,

I dully notice one slight north to west eye

shift makes a glance of one half hour drive,

or one day’s walk.

 

Briefly I see suspended bridges and meandered rivers

and grouped day radio towers on a high hill of off red blinkers,

the southwestern hills and unkempt clouds

and light endless sky,

the UT forty-acre campus,

an under construction downtown sky scraper

will soon power over the skyline’s scenery,

but now I’m too far away.

 

Carry me higher to see my love

put in the miniature, in parachute’s perspective

until the high plain has flown closer

and grows every bit further we go down,

and lowers to Kansas City International,

a murky thirty-degree spring day

and dead Midwest grass farms

along West I-70 to Lawrence, Kansas

and March leafless trees left over winter on Kentucky Street.

 

There is no point where earth meets sky

from such a low view,

no dreams here so high to see that sight,

of my long and lovely Austin in the air.

Author's Note

I wrote this on my flight from Austin to Kansas City today, and polished it this evening. Please let me know what you think.

Reviews

[Adam Jordan Turner]

Oh gosh. Ok I stand corrected, which I fear will frequently be the situation, this is my absolute favorite of your pieces. It is just so beautiful, I felt like I was right there with you. I can not tell you what an amazing job you did with the imagery in this piece, you're really really good at that. You really painted the most beautiful picture with this, it was almost like you were telling the story behind a portrait. I totally love the build to the climax as well and then the slightly abrupt ending. Really awesome!

Austin, Texas and its spring bluebonnets

and Indian paint brush wild fire flowers

sprung on Loop 1's hillside,

more so in the Hill Country

and its western spurious lakes,

greenbelts and natural soul springs.

There is my favorite stanza. It's so beautiful, the description, and so true! Um...did you go to UT or something? I live in Houston and my favorite activity is going to Austin! Hahaha, I love it so much! When were you there? Alright, good job!....I think you should be my mentor.

[The Archangel Gabriel]

Austin rocks! What a fun city!

-Gabe

[L.G. Knight]

This has some absolutely amazing imagery I see now why Adam wanted me to read it so bad... truly amazing how you made me feel like I was you seeing and experiancing every thing you talked about... Truly wonderful and it shows you have a spring well of talent to make something so simple as a plane ride have such a hugely touching affect. Absolutely stunning!

~Frances~

[Dan Bullock]

Now I know where you're -almost literally- coming from I can read more of subsequent works! This is a good thing I hasten to add. Really visual writing, which is where I think mine normally comes out so I can definitely understand watching somewhere pass on by and the changes on arrival somewhere else, plus, there's nothing like going back to somewhere you know so well even if sometimes it feels it holds you back. Motion is necessary with thought. From your title I thought you'd smelt home in the air, I think that works still as a description. :)

[Vince]

I don't think I've ever written a piece centered on my hometown. Most people do sooner or later it seems, but I just never really found anything exciting about my town unfortunately. home is where the heart is, home sweet home, all of those never really applied. this was probably placed in springtime, but I get the notion of roaming the streets alone at night in the summer, barefooted. a longer poem than usual!

[J.P.O.et]

You paint a picture here and that feeling of getting farther
away allowing to see it in a different view is really amazing
I like the rhythm and structure here and this flight to see
your 'love' but you don't really ecpand on that part
Nice write
J.P.O.et

I love this poem :) I love this part:
Briefly I see suspended bridges and meandered rivers
and grouped day radio towers on a high hill of off red blinkers,
the southwestern hills and unkempt clouds

It's really lovely how you can talk about your hometown with such love- personally I'm not as fond of mine! But then again I hav enever really moved away for long- maybe I would miss it! :) But every line in this just sounds so well thought out and considered :) xx

[Sandra K]

I could tell in your writing that you were flying. I have not been to Austin, in a long time.
You painted the memory back into my mind. Thank you
Wonderful poem!

Sandra K!

[KayOss]

Thank you for showing me your city. There's quite nothing like seeing a city through the eyes of someone who loves it. It's a perspective that is both rare and quite refreshing. I can hear your love of the city coming through in every line. Like a plane taking off, this poem starts off kinda low and gains altitude, expanding so that people get a better and bigger view of your beloved city. I have to believe that this is intentional and therefore deserving of praise. Good job here, Travis. Thanks for sharing. :)

[Silent Pacer]

very well thought out. it really shows an eye for detail. most people look out the window of a plane, and see meek designs at best, or pretend to squish everything as if they were squishing ants, (a personal favorite of my brother) but you looked and you saw art; a love for this city. very nicely done.