CHRIST THE FALCON!

POEM FOR TODAY - JUNE 9, 2012

THE WINDHOVER

To Christ our Lord

I caught this morning’s minion, king-

dom of daylight’s dauphin-dapple-drawn Falcon,

in his riding

Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing

In his ecstasy! Then off, off forth on swing,

As a skate’s heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl

and gliding

Rebuffed the big wind My heart is hiding

Stirred for a bird, - the achieve of, the mastery of the thing!

Brute beauty and valour and act, oh, air, pride, plume here

Buckle! And the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion

Times told lovier, more dangerous, O my chevalier!

No wonder of it: sheer plod makes plough down sillion

Shine, and blure-bleak embers, ah my dear,

Fall, gall themselves and gash gold-vermillion.

© Gerard Manley Hopkins