The Flight
Look back with longing eyes and know that I will follow,
Lift me up in your love as a light wind lifts a swallow,
Let our flight be far in sun or blowing rain–
But what if I heard my first love calling me again?
Hold me on your heart as the brave sea holds the foam,
Take me far away to the hills that hide your home;
Peace shall thatch the roof and love shall latch the door–
But what if I heard my first love calling me once more?
Sara Teasdale was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on August 8, 1884. Her poetry is characterized by its simplicity, clarity, and passionate and romantic subject matter. Teasdale died in 1933.
About This Poem
“The Flight” appeared in Teasdale’s 1917 collection Love Songs, for which she received a special citation from the Pulitzer Prize jury–an award which would later evolve into the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.
