Lovely Ladies of the Sky

American Airlines Flight 191 left O’Hare on May 25, 1979, on a routine trip to Los Angeles. The DC-10 lost its left engine during takeoff and crashed less than a mile from the runway. Everyone on board was killed, along with two people on the ground. It remains the deadliest aviation accident in the United States.

Years later, in 1984 and 1985, I was living and working in Chicago. I dated a young American Airlines flight attendant for a short time. One night she told me what life in the air was really like. She also told me that she and her roommates, who were also flight attendants, had lost a dear friend on Flight 191. I think her name is Sue.

The next day I wrote a poem for her. It was my way of honoring the work that flight attendants do and the grief they carry that passengers rarely see. I folded the pages and tucked them away.

Decades passed. Last night I opened a box of old files and found two creased yellow legal sheets. The ink had softened. The words still felt fresh. My lovely ladies from the past were there, waiting.

Below is the poem exactly as I wrote it.

LOVELY LADIES OF THE SKY
They’re up in the morning, the clock says four,
Their warm feet greet the floor,
Pack a bag and hit the door,
Nothing new, they’ve all done it before.
B.J., Janet and Sue

Lonely thoughts wander through their minds,
As they guide their cars through traffic lines,
A taxi horn, or a light that blinds,
They have each done it a thousand times,
B.J., Janet and Sue

O’Hare is quiet, the sky clear,
And yet each senses a touch of fear,
He’s an old friend, been there year after year,
Each knows he’s part of her career,
B.J., Janet and Sue

Silver birds, all in a row,
Each one fueled and anxious to go,
Strong men load luggage down below,
Lord it is cold, I hope it doesn’t snow,
B.J., Janet and Sue

An empty plane is a lonely place,
With only dim lights to fill the space,
But the still air has a quiet grace,
And holds the memory of a special face,
B.J., Janet and Sue

Then the passengers come, the last on the run,
Each thinks he’s a King, even Buddy the Bum,
Two Manhattans after a coke with rum,
Boy, is that jerk dumb,
B.J., Janet and Sue

Paper? Pillow? Get your foot out of the aisle,
But never once did she lose her smile,
Is it all part of the female guile,
Or do these lovely ladies have a special style,
B.J., Janet and Sue

Please say please when I pour the tea,
Because the word please is important to me,
Please paints the smile you see,
And satisfies my only fee,
B.J., Janet and Sue

Goodbye, so long, come back again,
We really do want to be your friend,
They’re still smiling when the last turns the bend,
And then it all begins again,
B.J., Janet and Sue

Finding those pages brought me back to that winter in Chicago. The poem reminds me that the job asks for poise, care, and patience, whether the cabin is quiet or chaotic. It also carries the weight of loss. Behind every smile there can be a story that started long before boarding and will continue long after landing.

To the lovely ladies of the sky, and to the friends they have lost, thank you. Your work and your grace stay with us.

By Jon Proctor - Gallery page https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/5931060Photo https://cdn.jetphotos.com/full/2/30280_1172846895.jpg, GFDL 1.2, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31474531