The
first section of the poem by Jemma King
Amelia Earhart
In 2010, a team
of researchers from the International Group of Historic Aircraft Recovery
discovered the remains of a 1930 female American castaway on the remote and
uninhabited island of Nikumaroro in the middle of the Pacific
Ocean. It is strongly believed that the castaway
was Amelia Earhart, the pioneering female pilot who disapppeared in
1937 whilst attempting to circumnavigate the world by air.
For someone so accustomed to speed,
silence and stillness was something.
It fell to a hum
and widened.
First, an inventory of quiet invaded and took root.
Each variety lived
and sang one note.
But this shelf fell off, deeply,
plaintively cutting to the igneous core.
The air plucked at bird string,
marsupial chatter and
tapped irregular fingers to it.
Each scrambled song an insult
to one who craved an engine and a wing.
At first, she went mad.
Testimonials referring to the book:
Cheval – The Terry Hetherington Award Anthology 2012
Quotes from the Gwales (Welsh Books Council) review by Caroline Clark:
‘The Jemma King’s horrific poem ‘Viktor’s Trap’ is perhaps the most striking of the whole
collection.’