Space Fever

[classicdrogn]

(with apologies to John Masefield)

I must go up to the stars again, to the lonely lights in the black,
And all I ask is a tight ship and a star to steer her back;
And the rocket’s kick and the fan’s hum and the radios o'er it,
And a pale kiss on the world’s face, as dawn breaks in orbit.

--=--

... and then inspiration ran out, but I think this much works, and even that is a little long for a media soundbite these days. I really wanted to have "airtight ship" on the second line, but it doesn't match the original meter even if I think the extra beat works better. Feel free to chip in with further adaptation if you've got something good.

Full original text

Sea Fever

By John Masefield

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

[DHBirr]

Eleven and a half years ago (how time flies!) I posted the following:

In Defense of the Terran Empire
Paraphrased from Rudyard Kipling

We have fed the Cosmos uncounted lives
And It calls us, still unfed,
Though theres scarce a star of all Its stars
But marks our Terran dead.
We have strewn our best to the Voids unrest,
To the dark and silent chill: 
If our blood be the price of Empire,
Lord God, we have paid the bill!

Its few the stars that shine on worlds
Shine not on a Terran hull,
And few the worlds where our blood has not
Been mixed into the soil.
We have sought and found and died on worlds
From the Core out to the Rim: 
If our blood be the price of Empire,
Lord God, we have paid it in!

We must feed the Cosmos uncounted lives
For that is our doom and our pride,
As it was when the Vostok rose to the sky,
As it is in our scouts ranging wide.
The ebb and flow of the tides of Space
Our heartbeat and our knell: 
If our blood be the price of Empire,
Lord God, we shall pay it well! 

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Up, lad, up!  We've villages to pillage, maidens to slay, and dragons to rescue!