by Tammy Smith
 |
Supersonic prototype jet breaks sound barrier on US test flight: Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 hit Mach 1.1 over Mojave desert, bringing company closer to planned supersonic airliner. —The Guardian, January 29, 2025 |
Over the Mojave Desert —a sleek
white object breaking
the speed of sound —BOOM!
seems less grounding
in the middle of other exhilarating events
when I need less to suggest more
doesn’t have to mean faster
measures represent progress.
If only the high-pitched hum
reverberating tens of thousands of feet
above a crowd of captivating onlookers
seared their sense of sovereignty.
The return of supersonic travel
reminds me to pause. Focus
on the fullness of my breath.
Dig my heels deep
into the center
of my purple yoga mat.
Gently lower my body down
to rest in a child's pose.
white object breaking
the speed of sound —BOOM!
seems less grounding
in the middle of other exhilarating events
when I need less to suggest more
doesn’t have to mean faster
measures represent progress.
If only the high-pitched hum
reverberating tens of thousands of feet
above a crowd of captivating onlookers
seared their sense of sovereignty.
The return of supersonic travel
reminds me to pause. Focus
on the fullness of my breath.
Dig my heels deep
into the center
of my purple yoga mat.
Gently lower my body down
to rest in a child's pose.
Tammy Smith is a social worker and a single mother from New Jersey. Her writing has been published in Grand Little Things, Eunoia Review, Poem Alone, and Verse-Virtual.
