Mayday 30,000 Feet - By Chloe Scarlett Kennidy

Written By: Chloe Scarlett Kennidy

Category: Poetry

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

Chloe Scarlett Kennidy graces the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 with her poignant poem "Mayday 30,000 Feet." This evocative piece belongs to the Poetry category, showcasing her unique literary voice. The poem delves into themes of fear, strength, and the human experience of navigating challenges at great heights. Kennidy's work invites readers to explore the intricate dance between vulnerability and resilience, set against the backdrop of a turbulent sky.

About the Work

"Mayday 30,000 Feet" is a vivid exploration of the human condition through the lens of flight and aviation. Chloe Scarlett Kennidy employs powerful imagery to illustrate the protagonist's internal struggles and the weight of responsibility. The poem's tone is introspective, capturing the tension between fear and control. It artfully juxtaposes the protagonist's childhood memories with her current reality, creating a compelling narrative of triumph over adversity.

Mayday 30,000 Feet

Original Submission by Chloe Scarlett Kennidy

Mayday 30,000 Feet

The sky is a god with a stomach. I learned this at nine, strapped into a rattling tin bird over lapis shards,

my fist knotted in my father’s sleeve (breathe, little one, it’s only air). It was not only air.

It was the drop. It was the well with no bottom.

So, I made my god my altar: manual for scripture, midnight for fasting, the black arithmetic of fuel recited like a rosary.

My mother folded my uniform with her lips pressed thin. ‘Girls belong on the ground,’ she said. But nothing has ever caught me.

Training. Dreadful regimen, unbearable expectations (They watched me the way men watch cracked glass) Waiting for the spill.

‘Sweetheart,’ the radio crackled, ‘can you handle her?’ I could. They called it luck.

I wore it like a scald. Now four gold bars bite my shoulders, thin as fuses, every one of them lit. Tonight the clouds are bruised and swollen, the wind a fist against the windshield, the instruments trembling like frightened animals in glass cages.

Three hundred strangers chew on my calm. I chew on my tongue.

Somewhere below, a kitchen light dim, a blinker shines, a daughter asleep, a man who tells me I am cold.

He has never seen me at thirty thousand feet, holding the whole sky shut with my two bare hands.

Icarus was granted the mercy of falling; I am sentenced to rise.

The warning lights blinks its small red eye (a heart, a wound, mine).

My stomach is nine years old again, dropping through the fuzzed carpet. My palms weep in their gloves.

My mouth trained, obedient, beautiful, says minor turbulence.

Fear does not run. Fear sits in the left seat and soars the machine. I bring them down. I always bring them down.

Wheels to the black tongue of the runway, applause sweet and stupid as rain. They gather their coats, already thinking of home.

They do not look back at the cockpit door.

No one claps for the woman who fell the whole way.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a distinguished platform celebrating the art of storytelling and poetic expression. This competition brings together writers and poets from around the world, offering them the opportunity to showcase their talent and creativity. Participants engage in a rich tapestry of themes and styles, contributing to a vibrant global literary dialogue.

We extend our gratitude to Chloe Scarlett Kennidy for sharing her remarkable poem "Mayday 30,000 Feet" in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Her contribution enriches the literary landscape, and we look forward to witnessing her future endeavors in the world of poetry. Thank you, Chloe, for your inspiring words and dedication to the craft.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.