Flight Path

There is a moment when
she keeps pace with the plane,
taxiing parallel behind the car park,
its tail fin slicing past the hedgerows
of her path.

Goaded by flight she pedals faster
then is lost
as the plane rears and rises
then is aloft.

She cycles far -
out of Sussex into Surrey
past fields, over two hills
and down long lanes

so that by the time the passengers
are winding through passport control
and exiting to board
left hand drive buses
on foreign tarmacs

she is at work.
She pours coffee,
cleans and dates the whiteboard, cursive,
logs-on with chunky keys of kids' computers,
sets out books on tiny tables
and opens the door to outside.

She aligns trikes
so the children too can learn
the joys of the world
and of going round and round
in circles.