04 | Nov | 2012 | willowdot21

Peace and Love together floated in, no one was too pleased to see them, even death had to force a grin. Pestilence was sneezing spreading germs everywhere. Use a hanky stormed War, Pestilence replied, don’t blame me it’s them wearing all those flowers in their hair.

Mercy and Gabriel hugged them both and welcomed them in. We are pleased to see you both take no note of him! What is going down here, Love began, why have we all been summons here ? Then Peace enquired , is it the end of the world man?

Yes I really think it is unless something can be done, these humans really need a shock to show them what they have really done. If they don’t listen soon to Mother Nature or to Him then we all know what’s to come.Gabriel hung his head as he finished speaking the whole place was silent now except for the sound of Famine eating.

I have begged for clemency said Mercy looking tired , that is a wasted of time roared War they should all be fired! Death said he was loathed to collect them all at once apart from anything else it meant a lot of paper work, they all looked at him as-canst, besides he said there’d be no more coffee meets and that would just be pants.

The conversation was stopped by a loudly ringing phone, It must be mine said Famine, I thought I’d left it at home . It was the phone upon the wall who was on the other end? It was Satan who said DID YOU FORGET MY CALL.

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Poetry Challenge #7 04/04/2012

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two

High Flight

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 nor 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

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This poem was found in many of the Kriegies’ YMCA issued diaries. Written by John G. Magee on September 3, 1941. Magee was born in Shanghai, China, of missionary parents-an American father and an English mother, and spoke Chinese before English. He was educated at Rugby school in England and at Avon Old Farms School in Connecticut. He won a Scholarship to Yale, but instead joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in late 1940, trained in Canada, and was sent to Britain. He flew in a Spitfire squadron and was killed on a routine training mission on December 11, 1941. The sonnet above was sent to his parents written on the back of a letter which said, “I am enclosing a verse I wrote the other day. It started at 30,000 feet, and was finished soon after I landed.” He also wrote of his course ending soon and of his then going on operations, and added, “I think we are very lucky as we shall just be in time for the autumn blitzes (which are certain to come.)

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This poem is almost a prayer. It is as soft and light as it contents and as deep and heavy as it contents, too. Full of references to cutting the bonds of earth, soaring high on emotions like laughter, delirium, joy mirth. Dancing flying swooping and flying higher than birds. Reaching the edge of space. Then that last line , a line that says it all for me . Where never lark nor 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.

Such beauty written about such a deadly subject. Planes carrying bombs to flatten hillsides , villages, towns and cities……. Such a contradiction. Words of one who had not flown in war’s true theatre. If you would like to learn more about John G Magee read here

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Poetry Challenge #7 is to create a journal of links and your reactions to poems by established (living or dead poets.) Details are here. Example response is here. Mr. Linky for Challenge #7 is directly below