By Philip Vassallo
PROMPT — I am grateful for ...
Before she lands on Planet Home,
she replays how she got there.
the nicest people were the ones
who piloted her journey.
Midnight: the airport now empty
but for the sleeping man sprawled
across three vinyl seats who gave
her, flying standby in her
ninth month his ticket to fly home,
now lying standby through the night
since yesterday’s rush hour
for the first morning flight,
the janitor in the restroom,
old enough to be her mother,
who gave away her PPE,
two masks and three pairs of gloves,
saying, “You need it more,”
the flight attendant, barely hiding
his tattoos, who escorted her
to a first-class seat and service
she did not pay for,
saying, “Your baby needs it,”
the driver, who took her luggage
to her door and told her
she would not accept the tip,
which was for her unborn child’s piggy bank.
One day, she’ll be on her way,
driving a bit too fast, when from the car seat in the back,
her child will say, “Slow down, Mommy,”
reminding her to step on the brake not far
from Planet Home and of all those nice people
who show up wherever she goes.
Philip Vassallo’s poetry, essays, and fiction have appeared in many publications, and his plays have been produced throughout the United States. He is the author of The Art of On-the-Job Writing, The Art of Email Writing, and How to Write Fast Under Pressure.