Ad Astra

I took my leave of the earth and men,
And soared aloft to the lonely sky,
Thro' the gathering dark, to the silent stars,
And the whisper of Angels passing by.

I heard the beat of the Angels' wings,
In the silent watch of the starlit night.
I felt His touch, and I heard His Voice.
I, Man, communed with the Infinite,

Far below lies a burnt-out wreck,
Soft, the strains of the bugles sound.
The Ensign flutters a last salute
As another pilot is laid to ground.

Men are sighing, and women weep.
Ah ! foolish friends, do not grieve for me,
For I heard God call in the silent night,
And flew on, into Eternity.