This poem is dedicated to the memory of
Barbara Jeanne Law nee Ford (1949-2005)

Two masked pilots in the sky.
It was fun for you and I, when we had a long way to fly.
Sometimes in large numbers in V formation we sailed the sky.
Sometimes we dived until our webbed feet almost touched the water.
Sometimes we soared till we almost touched the sun.
We honked to greet the early morning sun as it peeked over the horizon.
We honked to say farewell to the setting sun as it sunk low in the sky.
I honked and you honked in quick reply.
In the spring we ate what we could along the way from the Eastern shores.
In the summer we frolicked in the Arctic and its abundance.
In the fall we feasted along the way from the Arctic.
In the winter we rested once again in the familiar Eastern shores.
We breathed the air, drank the water and ate the fallen crops along the way,
And our brood of two goslings grew up.
Their wings grew strong and they started to fly.
Life was good to us as years went by,

What’s this here ?
A growth in your breast and destined to die ?
They took out the growth !
They nuked you and pumped chemicals in your veins !
You lost the feathers on your head
You could hardly fly !
Flap ! Fla-ap ! Flap ! Fla-ap !
And one wing lost its zing !
Oh my ! Oh my !
You could no longer soar nor dive !
Oh my ! Oh my !
I honked and you ho-onked I honked and you ho-onked.
I felt your pain.
I felt your pain.
Oh my ! Oh my !
You kept flying and flying and flying.
But no more soaring or diving.
Even as you ho-onked and ho-onked and ho-onked.
The Saviour continued to give you grace to suffer your pain with a smile.
The doctors said we needed to pump chemicals into your veins or you would die.
We struggled but still we flew across the sky.
Many a time a flock would join us and help you fly and it made you smile.
Sometimes other geese had trouble with their wings,
You would sweep and clean their nests and bring them food and help them fly.
With the loving heart of a servant you sought to help others mend their wings and fly.

What’s this here ?
A growth in your sternum and destined to die ?
I felt your pain.
I felt your pain.
Oh my ! Oh my !
More chemicals were pumped into your veins to keep your sternum from breaking !
I honked and you ho-o-onked, I honked and you ho-o-onked.
You could hardly fly but fly you must or you would die.
Flap ! Fla-a-ap ! Flap ! Fla-a-ap ! as we crossed the sky.
The Saviour continued to give you grace to suffer your pain with a smile.
The doctors said we needed to pump chemicals in your veins or you would die.
We struggled but still we flew across the sky.
Many a time a flock would join us and help you fly and it made you smile.
Sometimes other geese had trouble with their wings,
And you would sweep and clean their nests and bring them food and help them fly.
With the loving heart of a servant you sought to help others mend their wings and fly.
We wondered out loud many a time…
Was it in the air we breathed when we flew across the sky ?
Was it in the food we ate in our many stops ?
Was it in the water where we swam and that we drank in lakes and rivers ?
It did not matter now … It did not matter now.

What’s this here ?
A growth in your neck ! Twice the size and destined to die ?
I felt your pain ! I felt your pain !
Oh my ! Oh my !
I honked you ho-o-o-onked, I honked you ho-o-o-onked.
You could hardly fly but fly you must or you would die.
Flap ! Fla-a-a-ap ! Flap ! Fla-a-a-ap ! We no longer crossed the sky.
Lots of pit stops along the way, shorter distances now we would fly.
The Saviour continued to give you grace to suffer your pain with a smile.
The doctors said we needed to pump newer chemicals in your veins or you would die.
We bravely struggled with many more pit stops when we would fly.
Many a time a flock would join us and help you fly and it made you smile.
After three weeks your neck had shrunk in size !
What a wonderful surprise !
The feathers on your head grew back white as snow !
What a relief !
What happiness and joy ensued !
Even as we honked and ho-o-o-onked, flapped and fla-a-a-apped.

What’s this here ?
Many growths in your liver and destined to die !
We thought perhaps, grace and mercy from heaven had touched us but it was not to be.
I felt your pain !
I felt your pain !
Oh my ! Oh my !
No more place for the needles, your veins collapsed.
Fourteen years of bravely flapping and honking with pain.
With only one wing, with only one wing you cannot fly.
On Boxing Day the brave masked pilot of the sky.
Gave one last ho-o-o-o-onk and one last fla-a-a-a-ap to forever fly.
One more brave smile to say good bye until we meet again.
Free from suffering, free from pain, free from chemicals,
You fly the eternal heavens in the forever sky.
One masked pilot left to fly.
Flap Honk Flap Honk
There is not much pleasure in diving or in soaring.
The Saviour’s grace and mercy is much needed just to fly, just to fly.
Flap Honk Flap Honk
One masked pilot left to fly.