Our bags are packed
Our luggage too
We only have
One thing to do
To wait for announcement
Of our canceled flight
Though some of us pray
We’d go through it in spite
Of gloomy skies
Of turbulence
To be home on time
We’ll take a chance
So off we go
Still no canceled flights
To the airport late
That rainy night
Our Windy app
We check about
Updates on
The typhoon’s route
It’s still over our country
The eye of the storm
Near where we are landing
In some way or form
Still the airline knows best
This we understand
So swallowing hard
We stuck to the plan
PAL pilots are brave
I tell my worried sister
That’s why they won’t cancel
She says we are braver
At the check-in counter
We saw fellow brave souls
Their faces as worn-out
And pensive as ours
These are the people
Who did not rebook
Who would not rather wait
For a better outlook
And against all advice
Showed up for their flights
Because it’s not cancelled
So perhaps it’s alright
I saw a sports team
Wearing jackets with our flag
I saw many people
Holding tight to their bags
Are these faces I wondered
(I’m not gonna lie)
Of unfortunate beings
Who will with us die?
I shake my head no
I’m being dramatic
The flight won’t be smooth
But it won’t be tragic
Still at the gate
I had reservations
But I handed my boarding pass
In trepidation
Inside the plane
All’s still and quiet
There’s an elephant in the room
The typhoon that’s beyond it
The pilot addressed this concern
Once and for all
From his confident voice
We no longer felt small
He mentions the storm
And says our safety is their priority
He tells us to expect turbulence
For the weather is cloudy
He informs us our flight
Will also take longer
‘Coz they’re avoiding the storm
Which reassures all of us further
When the plane took off though
It was terrifying
If this was the takeoff
How much more the landing
The food was served too
But that’s a good sign
The cabin crew’s faces
Said all will be fine
At touchdown we were all
Finally able to breathe
Some passengers clapped
For it was no easy feat
So thank you to the pilots
Thank you to aviation
Thank you to the Lord
And the cabin crew at their station
We are back in our country
All safe and sound
I’ve never been so anxious
To put my feet on the ground
But this is just my experience
I speak for no one
When I say there are heroes
Who fly us to the sun
Featured photo was taken several years ago and is not related to the typhoon (Fung-wong) which occurred on Nov. 10, 2025 in the Philippines while we were at Haneda International Airport, Tokyo, on Flight PR423 bound for Manila.
