light as a feather

Light as a feather
what does that even mean?
is it a weightless thing floating
in the wind?
or is it the lightness of the burden
on the robin’s back?
the design of a flightful bird
necessitates lightness.
It’s possible to fly while
carrying a heavy load, sure
But it requires gallons upon gallons
of fuel from disintegrated plants
and dinosaurs from millions of years ago,
it requires heavy machinery and
intensive training and
a whole air traffic control system
Perhaps this is why anytime anyone asks
what my superpower would be,
the answer rolls off so easily.

I want the lightness of flying
as if my body were designed for it
floating on the wind, defying gravity
instead of being built to withstand
pressure upon pressure upon pressure
somehow lifting up
despite the baggage stuffed in the underbelly

Sure, I have learned to fly
with a lot of fucking work
and luck
and trial and error
still, I envy the birds
who can just take off and land at will
when will I be able to do that
or is pining for that as useless as
wishing for feathers