THE VIEW FROM HEAVEN Poem by James Harpur

(Translated from Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy)

'The function of the wing is to take what is heavy
and raise it to the region above, where the gods dwell.' - Plato

'There is another life, emancipated, whose quality is
progression towards the higher realm . . .' - Plotinus
I have quick wings to fly you to the heavens
And when your nimble mind has put them on
It will despise the earth as something grim
And soar beyond the stretching realm of air
To see the clouds as tiny specks below.
Ascending through the upper realm of fire
That's heated by the ether's rapid movements
It rises to the starry Zodiac
To join the sun god's path or journey with
Cold Saturn or with coruscating Mars;
And where night glitters like a silver painting
It follows round the orbits of the stars.
Contented with its efforts up till now
It leaves the farthest limits of the sky
And stands upon the ether's outer boundary
Revelling in the awe-inspiring light.
For this is where the king of kings holds sway
Who holds the universe's reins and drives
Its speeding chariot - though he remains
Unmoved, the radiant lord of everything.

And if the path returns you to this place
Which you forgot but now attempt to find,
You'll say, "This is my country, I remember!
From here I came - now here I've come to stay."
And should you want to gaze down on the world
Of darkness that you left, you'll see as exiles
Those callous tyrants who inspired such fear.