ODE TO A HERO OF OUR TIME

A man named Ethelbert D.Cling,

Made history with his arm-powered wing,

In his workshop he labored day and night,

To be the first with biceptial-powered flight.

Amid his toil Ethelbert needed proof,

Alas a bench test lifted him through the roof,

A notation in his medical files,

Lists injuries caused by hitting tiles.

This did not deter our Ethelbert,

Released from hospital, he ignored the hurt,

More test runs, his only worry,

That the splints he wore might cause wind flurry.

At last the day when the flags all flew,

Word got around the crowd grew and grew,

Amid their wild and frenzied cheers,

Ethelbert appeared with a flourish of gears.

He paused to wave to the eager group,

To his surprise this made him loop the loop.

Thus encouraged he flapped both arms,

Then shortly gazed down at fields and farms.

At the height of his flight he felt so proud,

Only to lose his way in cloud,

Knowing that Cling was a panicky chap,

Airport control radioed, “Keep calm, and don’t flap”

Sadly, Cling, a literal-minded guy,

Promptly plummeted from on high.

Now we mourn for poor pilot Cling,

He craved to fly above every thing,

He got his wish, for his folly he paid,

Now he can fly with no mechanical aid.

David Brittain.

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