Classic Poem

O, the proud purr of it,
Whiz of it, whir of it!
O, the fierce might of it,
Flare of it, flight of it,
Spin of it, speed of it,
Grip of it, greed of it!
O, the wild will of it,
Throb of it, thrill of it,
Vim of it, verve of it,
Swoop of it, swerve of it!
Like a great dragon-fly over the blue,
So it flared, so it flashed, so it flickered and flew.

Nay, but the Hand of it,
Taking command of it;
And the wise Soul of it,
Keeping control of it;
Beating as part of it,
Aiming the dart of it
Into the air:
That is the best of it,
Ruling the rest of it,
That is the marvel and miracle there!
Yonder no engine, witless and blind,
Driven by senseless piston and rod;
Its pinions are courage, its pilot is mind;
Its petrol and steam
Are vision and dream;
Its nostrils are filled with the breath of a god;
For there, like a speck, 'twixt the wings' mighty span,
Sit the Courage, and Cunning, and Strength of a Man!
O wind, thou art humbled; O space, thou art slain,
By the wiles of a heart, and the wit of a brain!

O, the fierce way of it,
Swoop of it, sway of it!
O, the wild will of it,
Throb of it, thrill of it!