James and the butternut pyjamas

Out from his grandfather’s satchel

James took a pair of flying goggles

He stole out of the house

and down the path

to the street

Parked in the laneway

was a shiny red plane

the street lights glimmered off its surfaces

and it called out to James

‘James…

come fly me…’

so James scooted on board

popped the goggles over his eyes

and quietly turned the key

He didn’t want anyone to hear him,

but he needn’t have worried

The plane took off

silently, like a sigh

So there he was

high above the sleepy streets

in his butternut pyjamas

all prepared

he knew what to do

He flew low over the fields out of the city

and just missed the tops of the misty mounts

he waved at the bats

and raced the owls

till he came closer to his destination

It was a tiny place on the map

if you blinked you’d miss it

but James knew what to do

He put the shiny plane on autopilot

and took out his pencil

and his notebook

he switched on the convenient little light

that the plane had

and wrote these words

“I’m just above your head.

“I really cannot stay, although I’d like to

“I looked down and saw the light on

“and thought I’d let you know

“I’ve brought a message from up North

“She loves you

“She loves you

“and she wishes she was here to give you this message herself”

James rolled it up

around the marble he’d carried

and sealed it with the paperclip

and he dropped it down

It fell onto the roses

where he knew it would be found

Then James turned his plane for home

he was really very tired

So he put the plane on autopilot

and she flew him all the way home

inspired in part by Eveline Tarunadjaja