Poem from a Denver Newspaper

The following is a poem written by Captain Richard S. Grigsby who flew for Continental Airlines at the time of the crash of Flight 11. Captain Grigsby wrote the poem and dedicated it to Captain Gray. The two were great friends apparently.

We're not sure what newspaper it came from specifically but it certainly is a Denver paper. A trillion thanks to Phyllis Jane Specht for sending this to me and bringing it to Duane's attention.

The poem is as follows:

I wrote the following poem for Capt. Fred Gray (pilot of the bombed Continental airliner) on the occasion of his 50th birthday. Would you print this as a eulogy for the finest pilot to ever take the controls of an airplane?

TOP O' CLIMB

The big jet starts to roll reluctantly,

For flight ahead is long and there is fuel

Which must be burdened, else

It cannot be.

That cunning will be victor in the duel

With Time and Space.

What power it takes to lift away from ground-

To blast such heavy burden into flight!

A thousand banshees couldn't wail the sound,

A thousand winged horses match the might of this great bird!

Her climb is rapid, now that speed is gained.

She flashes upward, forward, winning free;

But still the awful power must be sustained

To lift her into Nature's rarest sea

Far, in the sky.

At top o'climb, the battle all but won,

She settles down, her only labor just

To cruise a close companion to the sun.

Before she drops her power to "idle thrust",

Descends the other side.

RICHARD S. GRIGSBY

Capt. Continental Air Lines