"The Rhyme of an
Ancient Welkiner"
(The Memories of an Old
Pilot)
On long and slender
wings,
I have soared in silent
splendor.
I have gained the freedom
of the winds.
Avalon and Eldorado; I
have been there.
I rode the ridge and
thermals;
Climbed the wave above
the lens;
It was there I met the
condor,
And the hawk and I were
friends.
Climbing clouds that lead
to heaven;
Chasing rainbows of my
own;
Where the weak will never
wonder
I have faced my fears
alone.
Over mountains still
uncharted,
Made of gossamer and
stone.
Up the rift and down the
canyon;
Through the caverns I
have flown.
And I have raced the
eagle
To a place beyond the
light.
Riding daggered wings of
silver,
Streaking hard across the
night,
Through a panoramic
vision
In a cinematic show,
With a million stars
above me
And ten thousand lights
below.
On the promise of
tomorrow;
In the rapture of the
heights;
I have had a taste of
glory.
I have seen the northern
lights.
I have pitied earthbound
creatures
Who will never
understand,
The vastness of this
universe;
The finiteness of man.
Turning east to meet the
morning
At the moment of its
birth,
I have seen a new day
dawning
From the dark side of the
earth;
Bringing hope and new
beginnings
To a world in disarray.
In a silent flame of
glory,
Yesterday is burned away.
Over mighty mountain
ranges,
'Cross the deserts and
the plains,
With the eagle and the
hawk,
I have conquered vast
domains.
Together we have flown as
one,
And shared the golden
fleece.
The quilt
of all creation,
And the crucible of peace.
In a place that has no
borders,
Where the soul and mind
are free,
I viewed the vault
of heaven
As I sailed the
Hyaline Sea.
Where the sky is
not a limit,
I found eternal Spring.
In silent exultation
I have made the welkin
ring.
"The Rhyme Of The Ancient
Welkiner", was written by Wilson Brown on 11/2/1985 and may not be
copied for public or commercial use without the express written
permission of Wilson Brown.
welkiner@roadrunner.com