he had twelve days leave when I met him in Montreal

we courted a week then got married

he wore his uniform

I wore my grey silk suit and a hat with a veil

my mother shook her head and said

you hardly know the boy



but it was spring of 44

it was such a crazy time

and he seemed so brave

so full of glory

with his talk of planes and the sky

I remember him saying



oh flying

well the Hurricane shes a damn fine plane

and I wish you could see all the boys and me

doing loops and dives in tight formation

chasing the wind

like eagles in the sun



it was spring again when I went to meet his train

they sent him home a hero

with medals and that look in his eyes

and a cane

I hardly knew him

and most nights hed wake up shaking and scared

but hed never tell me

what he was seeing



but it was spring of 45

it was such a hopeful time

when he was finally on the mend

wed sit on the porch

and hed watch the sky

like he was looking for something

2.



oh flying

sun on the silver wing

its so silent out there

like a blue cathedral

you can climb and climb

till the earth falls away

and youre finally alone now

youve finally come home



well the doctors told him he could never fly again

but a heros a hero

and the Air Force takes care of its own

oh they let him fly a desk for thirty years

and except for the drinking

nothing much has changed

you know hes still got his medals

and his aches and his pains

hes still got his bad dreams

ah hes still the same stranger I met

at the train



but there was a boy in 44

he always talked of flying

and one day his plane took off-acap