To Dakhla-Par Avion

[tectak]

Overall I like it.

First Leg Tunis to Es Senia

As we climbed, the hissing sand exfoliated wings once white;
Saharan dust plumed rouge astern and mingled with our oil-smoked wake;
But mixture set, the carb shed ice, and soon we flew in gin-clear light.
Ahead, up loomed the Atlas peaks; below, the fog on Tunis Lake. <<< very nice flow

As warned by Saint-Exupéry, wind buffeted our jaunty kite;
each sensed, as he, the lift from land, warming ‘neath sun’s bloodshot eye.<<< each sensed the lift from land, warming beneath sun's bloodshot eye
We yawed left in the on-shore blast, that turned us from our route-planned height,
but came the green of Kasserine, in denser air we shot to sky. <<< rhymes but I like it

A silence fell. No words could tell how glorious the ice-crazed crests; <<< I like: ice-crazed crests, the line; hm?
or loose a sigh of indrawn breath on sight of sparkling azure sea.
What lay beneath us rolled like gold, arcs of gilded dunes; whilst west
dark wadis ran from hasting day, and haboobs sucked the mountain's lee. <<

This is the joy the gods would keep, as they look down on precious land;
This is the beauty height bestows upon Saharan barren plains.
This is the wonder and dismay, that blood has spilled to name just sand;
but we who heard the stinging air, we are like gods. We fly again. <<< to me this poem can do without this stanza. It is already fine.

tectak
2013
A small craft flight ( Cherokee 6) from Tunis to Dakhla. First leg, Es Senia airstrip. 691 miles, 5hrs 12mins, cruising at 5500ft.
1968

I like the plot of this. call m kinky (as if I minded, but I like this too:small craft flight ( Cherokee 6) from Tunis to Dakhla. First leg, Es Senia airstrip. 691 miles, 5hrs 12mins, cruising at 5500ft.
1968 . i find it sexy (no lingua in maxillam.)

cheers
serge

Thanks for this serge. The last verse,as you say,is probably superfluous BUT other "legs" will follow and all will have the same final stanza, slightly modified.
The sun's red eye line I have changed once. It is not an easy line to change. I will look again, though.
Best,
tectak