High Flight
by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds...and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of...wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew.
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
For a historical account my talented husband has put a blog post together at http://retroairandtrack.blogspot.com/2010/09/spitfire-i-heard-sound-well-before-i.html .
2 comments:
Thank you for the chance to re-read this poem. A great friend of my family's nicknamed me Bobbie after her son Bobby who flew for the RAF. He was shot down over France coming home from a mission. I didn't know him but feel a connection to those brave men.
One of my favourites.
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