Wisdom of the Late Tony Wells

[Pilotage]

For those who didn't have the privilege of knowing him, Tony Wells was the CFI of a microlight school in Lancashire, a strong but enjoyable personality, he made a lot of friends and few enemies. At various times he'd also been a fireman, ambulance driver, diving instructor - and was also a grandfather.

Tony died a few months ago of Cancer at the age of 65.


I'm not sure who, but somebody has just sent me a copy of his obituary - which covered all of page 3 of the Lancashire evening telegraph, and a small booklet of poems written by Tony. I had absolutely no idea that he was a Poet, but somehow it didn't surprise me.

I'm sure I won't get in trouble for this, so I'm going to gratuitously reproduce a couple of his poems.

P


My friends
There are two gentlemen of the sky
In any weather they will fly
One is grey and the other bald
Collectively they are quite old
They will fly and show no fear
This bothers me of friends so dear



The instructor
Oh-five thirty is the time
When out of bed I do climb
To look upon the morning sky
Is this the day that I will fly?

Oh it looks so good to me
As I drink my first cup of tea
It will be a glorious day
Not for in bed to stay

Boil the kettle, flask to fill
Egg three minutes just the thing
Ready to dip my soldiers in
Ring Airmet then the weather forecast I will get

Twenty five knots at a thousand feet!
Hail and thunder and possible sleet!
Off back upstairs I creep
To find her there still fast asleep

Now I think that I was wise
For it will give time for other things
Beside the wind to rise!


The Self Made Man
I am forty five years old and a self made man
I have a wife, two kids and a car as well
Now there is something I promised myself before I die
That is to be an aviator, you know, to fly

Now I am a self made man
And I am pretty smart
So an answered an ad in the Exchange and Mart

I went along and made my bid
Got this lovely thing for two hundred and fifty quid
Now I am a self made man and pretty bright
I am now the owner of a microlight

It's got a wing and a trike as well
And the bloke I bought it off was loathe to sell (I'll bet)

Lessons, not me, I am a self made man
I'm off to the beach you see I can
At beach waiting for the wind to drop
Photos first, then off I got

Now the wife said it flew
But not a lot
It ran on the ground and shot in the air
Oh it gave her a hell of a scare

Now I am a self made man
I know this is a bit of a hitch
I will be okay
But the plaster does itch.




Inside the back cover of the booklet is also a quote from Tony from 2003, when I know he was very ill.

I taught them how to fly, and I'll teach them how to die

[DRJAD]

Both very moving, as was the comment at the end.

Pilotage, thank you for posting this - I, for one, appreciate the chance to read them.

[Pilotage]

There were two more


Crystal Clear Day
Two thousand feet above the farm
The air is crystal clear and calm
Five thousand feet above the bay
Hills and Lakes not far away

Three six zero is what I steer
Upon the day that's crystal clear
Over Cark and Barrow near
Ten more miles to Windermere

Lakes Coniston, Wastwater, Bassenthwaite
Hills and Valleys still bathed in morning dew
Oh give me the words that I may speak of
Speak of this fantastic view

And I think of pilots gone
Of Ian, Simon, Dick Clegg and John
And so I dedicate this to you
This crystal clear day that I flew.



A cog in time
If I could re-live this life of mine
In other words, nudge a cog in time
Would I be good at school
And use an education like an academic tool?

What opportunity I know I could have
If I had done more with what I had
Oh it's so short, this life of mine
Can I but nudge a cog in time?

Oh the frustration, is life passing me by
Can I do more before I die?
Is there time for me to put the clock back
Re-deal the cards from a brand new pack?

Well I cannot nudge the cog in time
I cannot shed this old frame of mine
Oh death, Do you know what I mean?
But to face you at night I can beat you in my dreams

But in the broad light of day
That cog of time it ticks away
There is no second chance for this life of mine
For there is no one who can nudge the cog in time.

[BRL]

Pilotage. Thank you for taking the time to put these here for us to share. :)

[VP959]

A close friend read "A crystal clear day" at Tony's funeral a few weeks ago. All I could do was stare out at the roiling sky outside the chapel window as the words flowed over me, imagining Tony flying free.

I keep my copy of the booklet of poems propped up on my desk, with that classic photo of him standing in the doorway of the portacabin at the field.

If I achieve one tenth of the things Tony did I'll be well contented with my lot.

He's looking at me now, as I type this.............

VP