Poem (fwd)

[No Name Available]

Help! I received this from a colleague yesterday. I know the poem is the
one that was so widely quoted after the Challenger disaster, and ends "For
I have slipped the surly bonds of earth/ and touched the face of God"; I
think it's called "Flight" (though I'm far from sure), but can't seem to
track it down in any of my rapidly available references. I thought it was
by a WWI poet like Owens or Brooke who died in the war, but of course the
Battle of Britain is WWII. The Canadian poet who is mentioned I suspect may
be Col. John McRae who wrote "In Flanders' Fields" (and came from my home
town of Guelph, Ont.). He was a doctor in WWI. Somebody (probably lots of
bodies) out there will know the answer, I know. Thanks,

Barbara Harris
University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C.
----------------------------Original message----------------------------

Barbara,

My mother is trying to remember the airman's poem that ends with the
line "touching the face of God".  I think that it is associated with
the Battle of Britain.  Do you know who wrote it?  And here is the
killer question was he RCAF or RAF.   We are both sure he was a
Canadian.  I think that she his having an argument with her sister
whose husband served with the RCAF was shot down and spent the end of
the war on an alp in Switzerland.  He became a great skier before
getting home.

Any help would be appreciated.

David

David S. Moyer
1700 Christmas Avenue
Victoria, B.C. CANADA   V8P 2X8