High Flight

— 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 ever 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.

Fantastic poem and close to my heart.  I have carried a scrap of newspaper containing this poem around with me for probably 25 years ever since I read it for the first time.  I pull it out often and should really memorize it.  This was written while the poet was out on a mission during WWII, an American serving in the Canadian Airforce prior to the entry of the USA into the war.  He died at the age of 19 just 3 months later in a mid-air collision.