First day on the job
put away the dog eared manuals
unbutton the cowling
I muse:
she’s bigger in real life than the pictures
“no, I don’t need a rag
I’m not afraid of a little grease”
my hands caress her
cutting myself on a sharp edge
first blood spilt
I smile as my blood merges with oil
reminds me when friends became pinky pals
each day was an adventure
each flight paradise
the day I got to run up all four Pratt and Whitneys*
there was no need to fly
I was airborne in ecstasy
I wonder what Columbus’ first day at the helm was like?
**
In many ways as an airplane mechanic in the United States Navy, I felt like I was on uncharted waters. I was one of two women in a P-3 squadron of 100 men. I never minded getting sooty or greasy, but I know it took years for the airmen to believe I was worth anything but something to look at. I enjoyed being a grease monkey when women were still doing “girl jobs.”
The prompt for Poet’s United Midweek Motif is Exploring.
Photography:
Engine- photography moondust designs
Propeller – wikipedia
P-3 in Flight Cybermodler