High Flight - A war time poem with such depth.

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Updated 7 years ago

Being a pilot myself I have always found this well known poem composed by a very young 19 year old flying officer( The poem was inspired by his then girl friend) to have such depth, passion and a love for the air sometimes only appreciated by people who have found their purpose in life. Flying Officer John Gillespie Magee - 1922 - 1941 was killed in action during the Battle of Britain (WW2) while flying a Spitfire fighter a/c. Please allow me to share.

High Flight.

Oh! I have slipped the surely bounds 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 hovering there

I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through foot-less halls 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 God.

Just a thought and a little something I want to share with all my WA community friends as I have great respect for the men and woman who are prepared to give their all for our freedom that we sometimes, (sadly so) take for granted.

Okay and now its back to the grinding stone.

Stay cool, stay gold, and take care.

Johan.