Our conversation about the jargon of elevator design and maintenance inspired listener La Donna Ourada to write a moving poem called “Terminal Landing,” about how riding a metaphor can be a metaphor for life.
This is part of a complete episode.
The gaping doors before me call me in
Transition waits beyond this bare hallway
This trav’ler lingers, anxious to begin
Yet also hesitant and fain to stay.
What lies before me – opportunity?
Or maw of beast to ferry me away?
A step, a turn, a pause to choose my dream –
My finger poised to punch my destiny.
A breath, a gasp, a wait for the doordwell.
With sigh, ‘tis time to shed this earthen chore.
No fear of fiery fiend from lower hell.
Perchance a hope of rest on yonder floor.
With shudder, chariot begins to rise.
What terminus awaits me in the skies?
Transcript of ““Terminal Landing,” A Poem by La Donna Ourada”
You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it. I’m Grant Barrett.
And I’m Martha Barnette. A few weeks ago, we had a conversation about elevator terminology.
You know, it’s technical language like door dwell, which is the amount of time that it takes for the door to close after you board an elevator, and terminal landing, which is the top and bottom elevator landing area.
But it struck me as poetic, and I was saying, wouldn’t it be great if somebody wrote a poem about it?
Well, somebody did.
We heard from LaDonna Orada, who listens to A Way with Words in CUNA, Idaho, along with her son Jojo.
And she wrote to us to say that she was thinking about how an elevator could be a metaphor for life.
And she sent this really lovely sonnet using some of that language.
Oh, isn’t it the best? Isn’t it just gorgeous?
Yes, I know you enjoyed it as well, Grant, and I’d love to share it with everybody else.
Is called Terminal Landing by LaDonna Arada.
The gaping doors before me call me in.
Transition waits beyond this bare hallway.
This traveler lingers, anxious to begin,
Yet also hesitant and feigned to stay.
What lies before me?
Opportunity or maw of beast to ferry me away?
A step, a turn, a pause to choose my dream,
My finger poised to punch my destiny.
A breath, a gasp, a wait for the door dwell.
With sigh, tis time to shed this earthen chore.
No fear of fiery fiend from lower hell,
Perchance a hope of rest on yonder floor.
With shudder, chariot begins to rise.
What terminus awaits me in the skies?
That is a metaphor for life.
I love the mix of the modern idea of an elevator.
I mean, obviously they’re a couple hundred years old, but also just this could be a 500-year-old verse in some way.
Some of the language that she’s chosen.
I just love it.
Yes.
In sonnet form.
I thought it was gorgeous.
Punch my destiny.
Right?
What terminus awaits.
Yes.
I don’t think I can ever get on an elevator now, Grant, without thinking of this poem.
It’s going to be momentous from here on out, right?
Every time I get an elevator, I’m like, something’s going to happen.
Things will change.
You never know.
You never know.
Thank you.
And her name again is?
LaDonna Arada.
LaDonna, thank you so much for that poem, and we will share that on our website.
And if you’ve got something that you’ve been inspired to write based on the show, we’d love to read it.
929-9673 or send it an email to words@waywordradio.org.
