= High Flight =
Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee
No 412 squadron, RCAF
Killed 11 December 1941
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 windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.
= Saint Patrick’s “Breastplate” Prayer =
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom.
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.
I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.
= Battle Cry!! =
By Jason “Spud” Tomsett
Kneel for a time, and brandish your shield,
take up your sword, and enter the field.
I’ve started a battle and stepped up to the lines,
I’ve set up my camp and set out the times.
The battle is fierce; unrelenting at times,
Sometimes I keep fighting, with no rest for my eyes.
Yet you do not know, you will not hear,
Not until the end, has drawn ever so near.
The battle is hot, wounded crawling around blind,
But you still will not know till the end has drawn nigh.
I battle, I wrestle, I cry and still fight,
I’ll keep pressing on through the heat of the night.
Some times it softens and sings in the air,
Sometime is unnerves, and stands-up neck hair.
Why don’t you see, why won’t you fight
What blocks your ears and covers your sight?
Crawl for some time, find a corpse or two,
But don’t let them mislead you that there’s nothing to do.
Come to my side, my friend and cover my back,
Let’s keep each other up and away from all Black.
Let us fight side by side and I’ll cover your back,
Together, we’ll stand, if we fight back to back.
Groans and moans
in wordless phrases,
Make their ways through
to unseen places.
Kneel for a time, and brandish your shield,
take up your sword, and enter the field.
Again I say!
Kneel for a time, take up your sword,
Brandish your shield and commit to your Lord.
