Skydiving theme poems

[airtwardo 7]

Skydiving Poetry / Observations of the Sport by Bill 'Chuteless' Cole:



'Chuteless' sent these to me recently, I find his prose insightful & delightfully entertaining.
~Thought it would be cool to share, so with Bill's permission...enjoy!









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Those Jumpers Who Stepped Off The Earth----( By Bill Cole )

Have you ever stood under the midnight sky
And seen silver streaks fly through the dark?
In the wisdom of man they are most often called
Things like meteorites, comets or sparks.
But the truth has been secret since time first began
In this world that we now call our own,
And its time to reveal what those silver streaks are,
Its time for the truth to be known.


In the world before this one, there were people like us,
And in time they had learned how to fly.
They too dove from aircraft and into freefall
And like us they had owned all the sky.
But this wouldn't suffice in fulfilling their dreams
So they plotted each day since their birth,
And eventually found everlasting freefall
As they stepped off the edge of the earth.

So dark was the void, and no packing required
And they learned there was no need to spot,
Although it was cold, speed and friction was there
And their fast bodies really got hot.
Each skydiver flew just as he wanted to
And his dropzone in space was its girth,
Now flying forever we see silver streaks
From those jumpers who had stepped off the earth.

The next time you stand neath a dark starry sky
Lift your eyes to behold up above,
And you'll see old time jumpers as they dive past the moon
And perform in the sport that they love.
Twas a dangerous risk, but the risk brings the gain
Like we've sought since the day of our birth,
They're eternally tracking, just fast silver streaks,
Those skydivers who stepped off the earth.

So don't let men fool you with science and such,
They don't know how a skydiver dreams,
They can't know of the thrill from flying the blue
And their knowledge is small, so it seems.
The old time skydivers that live out in space
Took the risk of that dangerous flight,
They will ever be tracking and lighting the sky
With the silvery streaks of the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To my friend Ryan Jambrich


Ryan, the Swooper------------- (By Bill Cole)



Seven cell canopy, swooping so fast,
But if you misjudge, you're a thing of the past.
Your speed is so wondrous
A sight to behold,
A miscalculation, you'll never grow old.
Having once been a jumper
You will know what I say,
I admire your flying
Glad you're with us today.
So watch when that seven
Cell takes that last dive,
Approaching th ground
So you're staying alive.
Your friends are all watching,
They are really in awe,
They admire your courage,
Its really quite raw.
So do friends a favour
Don't get careless with ground,
You're an artist in flight
And we want you around.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


The Beautiful Scene--------------- By Bill Cole


There are so many sports with a thrilling ride
And some with a beautiful view,
But the best of them all is for people who fall
With their arms spread wide in the blue.
They thrill to the sound, high above ground,
To the pressure of air so clean.
But high in their wake, there's a parachute brake
And they're part of a beautiful scene.

When parachutes open in a thundering roar
It is time to fly back to the ground,
Where the packing is done to prepare for the fun
And the talk of their thrills can be found.
In so short a time they are ready once more
And they quickly have boarded the plane,
Its two engines roar, and they gaze out the door
As it lifts from the ground once again.

There once was a time someone spotted the load
To the exit point, where to get out,
With technology's flare, it's soon found in the air
But the GPS leaves room for doubt.
But that is forgotten in desire to fly
As the jumpers all crowd at the door,
They're ready for flight and they get the green light
And so quickly their feet leave the floor.


The jumpers are flying neath a sapphire blue sky
And their speeds are incredibly fast,
And like a refrain they're together again
A formation ere seconds have passed.
They nod to each other, they are part of the sky
Grounded men cannot know where they've been,
The parachutes open, there are smiles all around
And they're part of a beautiful scene.

The day filled with flying is over at last
And the shadows wipe light from the ground
As flames from the fire grow steadily higher
Story tellers are easily found.
Each wonderful moment, each thrill to their heart
Is retold as it really had been,
There is light in their eyes, for they've flown in the skies
And they're part of a beautiful scene.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


THE GRAVITY FLYER -------------- By Bill Cole 2009

They say what goes up has to come down
And its certain those words are true,
They are firm in the mind of a man who dares
To challenge the skies of blue,
They ride in an aircraft above the clouds
With a longing to go much higher,
But once out the door they fall with great speed
In the flight of a gravity flyer.

To so many people its a daring game
With a risk that they love to take,
There is no other place upon the earth
That will offer a chance to make
A thrill attainable only to those
Who have their hearts urged on like a fire,
They call it skydiving for want of a name
For the fall of a gravity flyer.

To get free of the earth, one must have a lift,
A device that will fly off the ground,
It took eons of time to develop the means,
But in time that device was found.
A motor, an airframe, with wings on each side
And this aircraft would fill our desire
To get up in the sky where our needs were met,
The needs of a gravity flyer.

In the long fall to earth, one must have a brake
Cause the impact would ruin your day,
A cloth parachute had been put to the test
And it blossomed above in a way
That would slow one's descent as their feet touch the ground,
Like being lowered to earth on a wire,
All fears were replaced by the love of the flight
That is made by a gravity flyer.

Mankind once believed that he was condemned
To live out his life bound to earth,
Those bonds have been severed and now he is free
To explore from the day of his birth.
Such freedom we have, we are no longer tied
Like a servant is tied to his squire,
Its a matter of pride to get into the sky
And return as a gravity flyer.

So take up the challenge and fall for the thrill
That awaits for you up in the sky,
The gravity pulls as you exit the door
And in downward direction you fly.
To the north, to the south, the east or the west
You can share with your friends, your desire,
And for the rest of your life you'll be recognized as
One who is a gravity flyer.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



edited to add:

~Bill's not on DizzyDot, but drop him an email if you have a minute, with some encouragement we may get some more!

billcole5@hotmail.com

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[KermieCorleone 0]

very cool

- Neil

Never make assumptions! That harmless rectangle could be two triangles having sex ...

[airtwardo 7]

~Bill sent along some more of his writings for us to enjoy...




GO WHERE THE GOING IS BEST...by Bill Cole

Come with me now to the airport
That's surrounded by fields of green,
And the things that I'm going to show you
Are like nothing you've ever seen.
Where you can take part in the action,
Where your dreams can fulfill their quest,
And your life can take on a new meaning
As you go where the going is best.


Overhead snow white clouds are drifting
With a lovely blue sky behind,
Its a home for the birds and skydivers
And it's truly one of a kind.
You'll be trained, but you'll get no feathers
Like a young bird thats leaving the nest,
But soon you wuill fly like an eagle
As you go where the going is best.


As the door of the plane quickly opens
And your eyes focus down at the green,
Your beating heart sounds much like thunder
Cause you're going where eagles have been.
As you feet leave the floor of the airplane
And the sun sinks far out in the west,
Your flight is as smooth as a piece of silk
As you go where the going is best.


It has taken you months to perfect it
But you now are a man of the sky,
And people confined to stay on the ground
Look at you with a jealous eye.
You live in a realm of beauty untold
And I'm sure you would never have guessed,
That your special world would be up in the sky
And you'll go where the going is best.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




BUMPING MY HEAD ON A CLOUD By Bill Cole D-41

In the cool morning air we climbed into the plane
And the Cessna was soon in the sky,
We got up to ten thousand and opened the door
And were gone in the blink of an eye.
A perfect four way as we dropped toward earth
In a sport that would make one feel proud,
It was over too soon, and I then wondered why
I had just bumped my head on a cloud.

The very next jump was an air show display
We were primed for a show in the sun,
To think we'd get paid for filling our lust
Of skydiving which is nothing but fun.
A near perfect day, small white clouds all around
And below was a marvellous crowd,
The jump was as good, with one exception for me,
As I had again bumped my head on a cloud.

I finally awoke to the reason for it
And I quickly knew just what took place,
My head was now aching and I felt like a fool
And I'm sure I was red in the face,
I just have to stop drinking much more than I should
It was beer parties that brought on this dread,
I had only been dreaming and was now widely awake,
Cause I had twice fallen out of my bed.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WHEN JUMPING IS DONE Bill Cole D-41 ( Canada )

My jumping is over, satisfaction is mine,
There's been many a flight in the blue.
My body is sore from the great crash and burns
And I sure wouldn't wish that on you.
With bones slowly healing I reach for the pills
That will help take the pain for awhile,
It sure has been great, and the memories I have
Will cause me to flinch and to smile.

The times when I dove from the aircraft above
Are the times that l miss most of all,
The flight of a friend as he thrusts like a jet
And careens tomy beckoning call.
Our hands touch together, the contact is made
There is no place on earth quite the same,
No place for malfunctions, no place for regrets
Cause this sport is the world's greatest game.

This sport is the reason, it makes me alive
In a world that can sometimes bring pain,
And I fondly look back at my days in the sky
And I'd do it all over again.
The shadows are longer as I think of those days
When I owned the whole sky up above,
When I flew like an eagle, far above fields of green
And performed in the sport that I love.

Like a bird without feathers, and fear wasn't there,
Cause flying was a thing that I owned,
Ability grew and it didn't take long
Like an edge it was soon finely honed.
When your airplane takes off in the soft morning mist
As it cuts through the sweet smelling clover,
You can know I've been there, I was part of the sky,
But my skydiving career is now over.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


SINCE GRASS FIRST TURNED GREEN ON EARTH -Bill Cole

I love to watch the things that fly
Like dragonflies and such,
The butterflies that flutter by
So far above my touch.
To see the ducks and geese above
So fast on feathered wings,
Since grass turned green upon this earth,
Men wished for all those things.

Once many centuries had passed
The wish would never die,
Man envied all the birds and things
That God had meant to fly.
So one day man believed he could,
If he could just build a plane,
And it was done, though many crashed,
Some others tried again.


It soon became reality
And with some sticks and twine
A plane was built that did the job
With a rickety engine whine.
WE DID IT, man would shout aloud,
Like birds we're flying high,
Not only do we own the land,
We also own the sky.

The idea came one sunny day,
To take the plane away,
Freefalling men could use their arms
And learn to fly again.
But all control would just belong
To those who dared to try
A flight in freefall by themselves
Across a cloudless sky.


The risks were great and many died
In trying this type of flight,
The parachutes were quickly made,
They were an awful sight.
But soon they won, true flight was born
For men around the earth,
It received the name of "Skydiving",
The greatest thrill since birth.

The years went by, and men got old,
Yet others dared to try,
And Skydiving got fast and bold
When challenging the sky.
But things improved and now men know
Just how to fly the Blue,
Skydiving made this possible
For any man like you.

But if you are living on this earth
And your feet are firmly bound
To things that never take to flight,
With me, don't hang around.
But if you wish to know the place
Where birds and brave men dare,
To fly in harmony with life,
Then Skydive in the air.

The greatest thrill since grass first turned green.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



PUNCHING A HOLE IN THE SKY -Bill Cole

What a wonderful sport I find myself in,
It takes place where the thunderbolts fly,
Where rainbows are bent after summer's rain
And to do good, you just have to try.
Looking down on the earth and the fields of green
There's no need to be wimpish or shy,
Its a place you can go, to fly without wings
As you punch a hole in the sky.


It must seem so strange as you look up above,
And behold what is seen with the eye,
The clear blue of heaven that's over your head
As the fluffy white clouds go by.
And soon you are flying like a bird on the wing
And you plummet toward earth from on high,
Your parachute opens and you realize
That you've just punched a hole in the sky.

In all of the things you are able to do
There is no greater thrill you can buy,
So wonderful, and so exciting it is,
It can bring tears of joy to your eye.
With other skydivers the pleasures you share,
For each of you learned how to fly,
A wonderful landing, you're back on the earth,
But you just punched a hole in the sky.

There are many who cling to the earth like a claw,
They're the people who've never asked "why?",
They'll never know that the reason birds sing
Is because they are able to fly.
They could not understand how a skydiver feels
If you told them till rivers run dry,
And the greatest of pleasures a skydiver knows
Is punching a hole in the sky.

The day is soon over, you stare at the fire,
But memories linger and sigh,
The crimson red sunset that hovers above
Casts a glow on companions nearby.
You fill out your logbook with each thrilling move
As the shadows of dark seem to tie
Themselves to each other, and you smile as you know
That you punched a hole in the sky.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


My Soul Is In The Sky -Bill Cole

Congrats on your jumping
You are a success,
You've proved you could do it
It wasn't a guess.
And now when you dive out
And fly in the blue,
You'll be part of the sky
And the sky part of you.

Other people in freefall
Will look at your face
And witness your pleasure
While falling through space.
You'll do tracking and hookups
And in all that you do,
You'll be part of the sky
And the sky part of you.

A thousand thrills waiting
As you thrust out the door
And the wind hits your face
As your feet leave the floor.
You truly are flying
Like a bird in the blue
With your soul in the sky
And its beauty in you.

I knew all along
That you'd leap out that door,
It wasn't so long
from 03 to 04,
Determination was present
There was nothing to fear,
Now the sky is all yours
And you'll have to buy beer.


*Dedicated to Cindy Norris, who , when she was learning,
was having some difficulty in going into
Freefall skydiving. She is now an experienced skydiver.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



The Path That I Chose By Bill Cole D-41

When I began jumping in sixty-two
Rules for safety were well defined,
But as time went on and more jumps were made
I began to change my mind.
I knew in my heart I could do much more
And the old book of rules I could close,
When I jumped without chute, they gave me the boot
But that was the path that I chose.


CSPA cried foul, and they tried their best
To obstruct every jump that I made,
They had no success and the public enjoyed
The parachute game that I played.
Low openings soon were my specialty
And their tempers quickly arose,
But they gave to me, good publicity,
And that was the path that I chose.


Then came some high jumps, six miles and more,
The record for Canada's skies,
Its a fact they were free jumps, time after time
In spite of CSPA's cries.
"Suspend him for life", "suspend him again",
Some jumpers would loudly propose,
But I didn't mind, I was very well paid
And that was the path that I chose.


Jumps were made in the summertime
In the wonderful skies of blue,
A thrill to the crowd that came to watch,
To see skydiving that was new.
Jumps also were made in wintertime,
And sometimes we nearly froze,
Memories in log books, one by one,
Cause that was the path I chose.


Canadian jump records for day and for night
That have lasted for many years,
Jumps made by Descenders Parateam
As CSPA shed their tears.
Their members should have been quiet about
The things that they liked to oppose,
I felt sorry for them, but it just had to be,
Because that was the path that I chose.


Those jumps got me sponsors, a wonderful thing,
Equipment supplied to the team,
Reputation was growing as each year went past
I was living a skydiver's dream.
Airshows, commercials, and movies and such
Till old age my career would close,
I had a great time, and I have no regrets
Because that was the path that I chose.


We did break some rules, but most were just bent
So requirements made could be filled,
Twas fortunate for myself and the team
That no one had ever got killed.
I'll be first to admit when all has been done
And in death both my eyes will close,
While is sure was fun, broken bones and all,
I thank God for the path I chose.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


HOW A HUMAN CAN FLY-Bill Cole

As the dawn broke in the cool morning air
And the day bid goodbye to the night,
Skydivers awoke to a beautiful day
And I welcomed that wonderful sight.
My heart skipped a beat when the engines roared
And the Otter came to life with a blast,
The first load was ready and climbed on board,
I was amazed they got ready so fast.

White cotton castles adrift on the breeze,
A background of deep sapphire blue,
Cumulus fingers reaching up in the sky,
Like their searching for skydivers who
Inhabit this place in a long dive to earth
And then land on the emerald green,
With the gleam of the sun on the sweet morning dew,
It's fulfilling a skydiver's dream.

I looked at the plane as its wheels left the ground
And it clawed its way into the sky,
It told me that other freefalling souls
Would soon show how some humans can fly.
I noticed the windsock was hugging the pole
And the plane was now high in the sky,
The sound of the engines was much quieter now
And I watched with a jealous eye.

It wasn't too long till the P.A. announced
That the Otter was right overhead,
A dozen heads tilted and eyes turned up,
Aware of what had been said.
Twelve thousand feet and the plane levelled off
And made its way over the zone,
The jumpers were ready, they moved to the door,
They got the green light and were gone.

Like out of a jug their bodies were poured
Into air that deflects as they go,
Motorless men in directional flight
Build formations while I watch from below.
Precision and care at incredible speeds
As each person flies into their slot,
They nod to each other, there is no need of words,
Satisfaction is what they have got.

The dytter is sounding , its time to break off
With reluctance their grips are undone,
The formation is broken, they seek out a space
And their chutes open into the sun.
A quick look around, and like one they all head
For the green grassy flat of the zone,
These people have flown like the birds in the sky,
A pleasure few people have known.

But this is the sport that is one of a kind
And too few of earth's people have tried,
Perhaps its because some did not get it right,
And perhaps because some of them died.
But to know how to fly is a wonder to those
Who never have heeded the call,
They're stuck on the ground and they won't realize
The ability to fly as they fall.

So listen to stories told after a flight,
Of the wonder of flying the blue,
And you'll understand then that its more than a sport
And its possible even for you.
So sign up your name on that old dotted line,
Get instruction, get into the sky,
You'll never regret that you've taken that step
And you learned how a human can fly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[ExiledReality 0]

Very cool, Very cool ~

[chuteless 1]

Airtwardo: Do you know how I can send this list of poems to someone by email without having to write them all over again ??

I do not know how to do much with a computer except send emails, but to take something like this list and send it, I don't even know if its possible.

Thganks for whatever you can do to assist me in this.

Bill Cole D-41