I wrote this two weeks after 9/11.
***************
The comfort of channel 9 on the headset
Banishing the solitary
Lessening the fear.

They reach out, and a voice always comes back,
You are not alone
We are here.

Some brusque, others banter
United 159-er contact Denver Center at 133.17.

That sudden jerk already telegraphed by
United 159-er turn right ten degrees.

You can expect that chop for another five
And I know the plane isn't falling apart.

A bouncing, squirming baby
Passed from center to center
From one proud uncle to another
The night fills with their voices.

**********

(Forgive the "uncle" usage... I just love hearing the female voices too... particularly when it's a female ATC talking to a female in the cockpit. I often wonder if they get a personal kick out of it too.)