High Flight
John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
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 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.
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 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.
Rest in Peace
John Sidney McCain III
August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018
this is an absolutely perfect tribute for a true hero
A favorite poem of mine suddenly had new meaning.
He was an honourable man. The world is a poorer place with his departure.
I agree. I’m afraid we’ll not see another like him.
I did not agree with him on several things but I had the utmost respect for him. He’s about the only Republican that I respected.
He generally put the country above politics, party, and self. A rare breed these days, if it exists at all anymore.
Thank you, Susan. These words will frame my day.
They were, and still are, the only appropriate words I could think of.
“The lions are gone. The lions of the Senate are gone. It is very sad.”
— Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, on Senator John McCain, who died nine years to the day after Senator Edward Kennedy. They were friends, even though one was a Democrat and the other a Republican. And the same disease took them both.
Lovely tribute.
Thank you.
Amen!
I feel like we’ve lost the last true patriot in Washington. The last honorable man.
Very fitting tribute to Sen. McCain. We had an emotionally moving recording of this poem read as my husband’s ashes were distributed from the air over a sanctioned specified national forest area in Sedona, Arizona following his unexpected death in 2006. I can well imagine the comfort Sen. McCain derived from living in that magnificent red rock country where his spirit will continue to soar.
It’s a beautiful, uplifting poem. My guess is that Sen. McCain loved it too.