At the gondola deck
we gathered,
perched just at tops of trees.

Tiny ships waltzed over waves of white noise,
harmonizing with our chuckles
and the caws of distant gulls.

Fingers laced,
we lifted with the setting sun,
sliding between stippled starlight
and masthead beams.

Cares were carried
on wings of eagles
and slid away
on trails of shooting stars.

Before us, reality reeled.
Behind us, turned into haze.

Two copilot castaways
on a magical voyage,
destinations mapped
in our imaginations.

Tracy Ahrens has been a journalist/writer for over 30 years. She has published eight books, including two non-fiction works, four children’s books and two books of poetry. As of 2023 she had earned 105 writing awards. She has been published with The Ravens Perch before. See her website at www.tracyahrens.weebly.com.