There is a time

channel mists behind, we sit at anchor for the tide

then in the early hours the Thames pilots board

and - slowly for the mist still lingers close to land -

we move up river reaches, take tugs and find our lock

to gently nudge our way between the barges

until we are tied up again in Albert's dock,

derricks swung and hatches open -

and I am free

Again,...

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Tarac
We busted our balls 
To get up there
Over a kilometre high 
Where the warplanes live
And die a violent death
Meeting their end up above
On towering lonely slopes
As did Lt Stone and Sgt Kurosawa
On the same day seventy six years ago
To the day we went there
As others before had
For we had a job to do
The missing answer to find
To locate the remains of a lost pilot
Named Ston...

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This poem is about flying into the city of Cairns in the far north of Queensland, and its lush and dangerous tropicality. This is an exotic part of Australia I know well. Specifically, it recalls my experiences of the wet season, when the rain falls in torrents, crocodiles inhabit the suburbs, and the humidity is like a sauna.

Wet

Tall drips of confusion

bombard flying fox invad...

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MISSING

Hurricane fighter plane dives through clouds towards the ground,

he goes down through the thick grey murk, no one can see him or knows

where he is going.

His wingmen landed some time ago and still there is no trace of him.

Is he gone, his plane so many smashed pieces of metal or burnt ash?

The dogfight was fast and swift with many planes turning and rolling

for as...

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EMPIRE THREATENDED

And so the battle lines are drawn as the rebel republic

makes a move on the queen’s own mountain regiment,

for it isn’t pride that is at stake but the very empire…

Forces of battle gather, rebel F-20’s, so sleek and fast,

take on the empire’s F-22’s, stealthy

and almost invincible, the devil’s chariot.

In the coming fight will evil triumph ov...

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I wanna see 2 jet fighters go air to air.

Trying to kill each other.

Full range of weapons.

Beyond visual range.

Dodge the missile volley.

Short range heat seekers.

Get past that.

Guns baby...

Knife fight in a fucking phone box.

Helmet mounted sights, off bore sight missiles.

Death...

of pilot and jet.

...

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ICE FLY

How many pilots died and old aircraft lost when they flew over jagged snowy peaks in the remotest corners of the world? Doing a dangerous job knowing the risks and trusting in fate and luck to bring the through. Some never made it, there planes impacting vertical mountain sides in sickening crashes. Bodies lost forever, frozen in the time of death. Icily cold and otherworldly ...

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TRUE

Then… Airplane falling wreathed in fire, ruined

bonfire dragged down by gravity to a watery grave.

Broken machine resting on the seabed, silence

reigns in Deaths’ triumph.

Now… Test Pilot Feng Yi and five of his comrades flying

air tests on red China’s brand new J11 fighter.

Saw many old planes in formation, props and je...

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MISSING

Hurricane fighter plane dives through clouds towards the ground,

he goes down through the thick grey murk, no one can see him or knows

where he is going.

His wingmen landed some time ago and still there is no trace of him.

Is he gone, his plane so many smashed pieces of metal or burnt ash?

The dogfight was fast and swift with many planes turning and r...

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DESTINY CALLS

Rising higher and higher the warplane climbs

through the hazy sky, sun reflecting off the distant water

far below through a gap in the clouds.

Missiles hang under delta wings

ready for instant launch when an enemy

is spotted across the distant sky.

An inhuman machine with the looks of a goddess

and the power of a god, this is a thing of ...

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WAR

“Why is he not burning?”

“He will, he will, the air is too thin up here…”

Wing over broken wing, crushing g-forces stopping escape, the enemy pilot

prayed to his god but it was too late, he was already dead.

Sunlight sparkled on the spinning plane a thousand metres below.

Smaller and smaller, hard to see in the death spiral.

Will he cry for his mother...

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STUKA

Take off is early at dawn; twilight covers our planes in gold sunlight.

We climb so slowly for the sun and its protection on our dangerous flight

to England.

Our deadly load is our bombs, we’ll kill those Tommies just like our

Fuerher says. But are we so bad?

All we do is follow our orders and do our terrible mission.

We reach our target in the morning su...

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