Always take off into the wind.
Call the wind Conductor, Doctor,
compliment the way it smoothes and soothes.
Warm fronts shift, cold fronts shift
faster, watch the leading edge. Measure
wind speed with your eyes:
smoke drifts in light air; leaves
rustle in a light breeze; flags
flap in a gentle breeze; flags
snap in a moderate breeze; saplings
sway in a fresh breeze.
Hangar your plane in a fresh gale.
Curse the wind: Barber, Bricklayer.
Clock how it whistles, whines
through your struts.
Learn all the names:
Blue Norther, Santa Ana.
Memorize the maps: winds scribble
their signatures over and over.
Always land into the wind.