I ventured out late afternoon, when the rain had stopped, to catch raindrops on flowers. A twig with Lichen had fallen from the Winter Flowering Cherry onto the Cotoneaster with its glorious red berries.
Today, one of my Blogger friends posted this beautiful poem, High Flight, which is one of Mr S’s favourites having found it some years ago. It was written by John Magee, Poet and Soldier, 1922–1941. In his seventh flight in a Spitfire Mk I, he had flown up to 33,000 feet. As he orbited and climbed upward, he was struck by words he had read in another poem — “To touch the face of God.” He completed his verse soon after landing. It never fails to move both of us and you can truly imagine the feelings of freedom as he ‘chased the shouting wind along’.
Thank you Saymber for reminding us both of this special poem.
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 soard and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there
I’ve chased the shouting wind along and flung
My eager craft through footless hails of air.
Up, up the long delirious burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept 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.
valeriedavies
October 24, 2017 at 10:55 pm
Ronald Reagan read this poem ( must have had a great speech writer) after the Challenger space shuttle crashed … I thought it was such a moving perfect choice…
mybeautfulthings
October 26, 2017 at 7:04 pm
Bill says that is when he first heard the poem and loved it, looked it up and now it is a favourite. Lovely to hear from you. xx
calvin
October 24, 2017 at 2:02 am
Your rose -my favourite colour -voluptuous peachy.
Flight – magical words.
One of my regrets in life was not learning to fly when I had the chance.
mybeautfulthings
October 24, 2017 at 6:14 pm
Wonderful poem isn’t it? Each line has some magic in it and each time I read it I find another special phrase. Sorry you have regrets re flying…. For me it is a wish to roller-boot that I will now never fulfil! 🙂
calvin
October 24, 2017 at 10:21 pm
I’ve never roller booted either. If it is like ice skates, and I doubt it, I have the bad knees of my childhood ice capades. When I was a kid on a frozen pond, skating was like flying.
mybeautfulthings
October 26, 2017 at 7:15 pm
As a kid I flew most nights in my dreams. I would run, usually in fear and away from some danger, to the cliff edge and just take off, flying away with ease. I’ve “wheeled and soared and sung and chased the shouting wind along,” and been safe. 🙂
saymber
October 23, 2017 at 9:41 pm
Sally this renewed vigor for poetry is a lot your fault….thank you for that! 🙂 Your sharing gave me information I didn’t know about the author too! 🙂
Susan
October 23, 2017 at 9:28 pm
I have had an utterly horrid day. Your post is like a cool drink of pure spring water. Thank you.
mybeautfulthings
October 23, 2017 at 9:37 pm
I am really sorry to hear about your horrid day and hope things are improving for you. I am very pleased that my blog has helped you to feel a bit better. Love to you. 🙂