By Douglas J. Lanzo
Dropped off at a cavernous terminal —
Terminal 1 of Charles de Gaulle —
I stepped inside to head to my flight,
with my steps slowing to a crawl,
as I saw no check-in areas
or even a customer service stall.
Approaching a gentleman attired
in a jacket with hand luggage in tow,
I deemed him the perfect person,
to inquire where for United to go.
Well accoutered and clean shaven,
with smart eyes and well-trimmed beard,
I thought perhaps this is a captain
who may quickly get me steered
in the correct direction;
so I hailed him as I neared.
He asked to see my ticket
which seemed an auspicious sign,
but after handing it to him,
he face did appear resigned.
“You are in the wrong terminal,
and the right one is not near.
There is no walking connection,
and you may miss your flight, I fear.”
Seeing my mouth open
agape with real concern,
he paused, then said, “Follow me”
and so, with him I abruptly turned.
Entering airport parking
a stone’s throw from where we met,
he advised we must go quickly,
as he had a customer pick-up time all set.
Grateful, I hurried to his car,
and he popped open his trunk,
for my check-in luggage,
which he gently loaded, without a thunk.
He told me he’d drive me directly
to the right terminal: Terminal 2,
and with that we sped out of parking,
without further adieu.
Hearing his perfect English,
as my French could not carry the day,
I asked him where he had learned it,
and he did pleasantly say:
“I watched Hollywood movies —
great westerns with John Wayne —
and modern American classics,
where stars Newman and Eastwood reigned.”
When I mentioned my favorite film:
Casablanca, with Bogart and Bergman —
he said of both those actors
he also was a diehard fan.
It was the most pleasant ride
of my entire magnificent trip,
but when we arrived at Terminal 2
he didn’t want fare, let alone a tip.
Yet I emptied my entire wallet
of all the francs I had on hand,
incredibly grateful for his kindness
shown in France — a kindred land,
that fought side by side for our freedom,
when we were yet outmanned —
gifting us the Statue of Liberty
to welcome the weary to our sands.
Doug is an award-winning American author whose Newbery-nominated debut novel, The Year of the Bear, won the 2023 Ames Award for Best Young Adult Books and whose second book, I Have Lived, was named Best Novella of 2024 at the American Book Fest Awards. Doug’s poetry recently won 3rd place in Voice & Virtue’s 2025 Poetry Manuscript competition and 2 of his poems were adjudged contest winners in Academy of the Heart and Mind’s 2025 holiday poetry contest. It has been published in 87 literary journals and anthologies and two books in the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, England, Wales, Austria, Mauritius, India, Japan and Australia. He and his award-winning haiku poet twin sons enjoy nature, fishing, tennis, snorkeling and hiking. His Author’s website is at www.douglaslanzo.com.
Academy of the Heart And Mind 