Luna Iactus
Parts 1 and 2
Verse so grand, in iambic tread,
With six feet beat in every line,
Of ancient rules, the tales are said,
Of heroes bold, of gods divine.
With words of power, words that keep,
The rhythm steady, and profound,
Of deeds and feats, the bards do sing,
In echoes that the ages resound.
Thus I recite, in verse so fine,
With strength and grace, of epic tales,
And bring to life, the ancient rhyme,
That through the ages, always prevails.
I.
Eight years beyond the flight Gagarin took,
Which Shepard sought to overcome and look,
Above horizon where the future lies.
Forsaking over saturated skies.
The challenge given from above
The president did speak with love.
No man can grasp how far and fast we’ve come,
Condense the span of what we have not done.
Furthering our way towards the stars.
Reaching outwards; taking what is ours.
Beyond the flight of Yuri Gagarin,
With Alan Shepard's quest to soar again,
Above the Earth, where future bright does shine,
Leaving behind the realm once thought divine.
A challenge issued from the highest place,
With love and hope, from the president's grace.
We look upon the years, with wonder in our eyes,
And marvel at the things we've realized.
Five thousand years of history untold,
Compressed into half a century's fold.
Of times that passed, so long ago,
When man first learned to reap and sow.
Just ten short years, beneath this sky so fair,
With structures built of stone, beyond compare.
The written word, a cart with wheels, and more,
With Christian faith, hammering the door.
The steam engine, a joyous call to cheer,
And printing press, of yesteryear.
Newton, who gave us gravity's might,
And telephones and electric light,
Propelling us to reach the stars above,
With knowledge, strength, and courage, we'll take what's ours.
Such pace cannot help but create new ills.
Conquered by those forward moving wills,
This country founded on forging ahead,
All those brave souls that risked their home and stead.
The capsule history above,
without the knowledge and the love,
of science and progress cannot deter,
and further exploration will not blur
Space exploration will go on forward,
all countries that can fathom it aboard.
Space Conquest, Brave New Quest:
The nation, born of pioneers,
With restless will and spirit fierce,
Now seeks to conquer worlds above,
With knowledge, hope, and boundless love.
The capsule history, though vast,
Cannot compare to what's to pass,
With progress, daring, and great skill,
We'll venture forth, against all ill.
So let us board the epic ship,
And sail to where the future's rip,
With bravery, vision, and steadfast heart,
We'll conquer space, our noble part.
For all the journeys, this doth reign,
A quest that shall forever remain,
In memories of our forbearers,
Who rode the waves and braved the piers.
The world now gazes up with awe,
In hopes that from our quest we'll draw,
New knowledge and undreamt of power,
As we lead the world in this hour.
Of all adventures this is surely great,
Greater than all the journeys way of late.
Those who came before us rode the waves,
Keeping strong the will of their own braves,
The eyes of all now look to space in hope
unprecedented in its scale and scope.
If we yearn to lead the world
we must fly our flag unfurled.
New knowledge there is to be won.
No conflict yet by a destructive gun.
For this we shift our efforts into gear,
Our aspirations in as such are clear:
"O'er strife and feud, above the earth below,
In space, there's none that prejudice does show.
Its dangers, hostile to all mankind,
Yet still its conquest does our spirit bind.
A chance for peaceful cooperation waits,
A chance that may not come again in fates."
"Some ask why choose the moon? Why choose this as our goal?
Why climb the mountains, cross the oceans´ roil?
Why, 35 years ago, fly the ocean's breadth?
Why do Rice and Texas clash despite their strength?"
"The moon, we choose, in this decade to tread,
And other things, not easy, but ahead.
The goal will test the best of all our might,
The challenge, one we accept with all our sight.
We won't postpone, we will this task fulfill,
And win, with courage, all our future's thrill."
"Long time ago, great Mallory did say,
Before his death, he'd climb Mount Everest one day.
"Because it's there," he answered with a grin.
And space is there, new wonders to begin.
Moon, planets, hopes of knowledge and of peace,
Without God's great blessing, may our grand journey cease.
II.
If history stands firm behind the men,
The brave who venture forth into the den
Of lions both of vacuum and of rock
And risk imposed by timing and the clock,
Perhaps the day will come when we shall see
Mankind abide in light tranquility
Upon the surface of our sacred moon
Representing mankind's greatest boon.
The exploration spirit will live on.
Like the pilgrims that will land upon
The surface where new knowledge lies
And ignorance goes forth and dies.
But of the most important are the ones
Who first enable all those many tons
To slip the bonds of earth and go onward
Beyond the point where humans can afford
To make decisions with no thought or hope
Results with which the families cannot cope.
This story is of all who stood up for
Going forth and opening the door
Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins rode the wave.
But all who watched them knew of what they gave.
Thus, history holds firm in memory
Of brave ones, who boldly ventured forth
Into the unknown, where lions lay,
Of rock and of vacuum, a fearsome prey.
And when the day arrives, we shall witness
The triumph of mankind, in peace and bliss
Upon the sacred moon, our glowing star,
A symbol of our greatness, from afar.
The spirit of exploration endures,
As heroes land, and new knowledge cures
Ignorance, and lights the way ahead,
Where new discoveries lie, waiting to be fed.
And so it was, that brave souls took flight,
And forged the path into the starry night.
Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins, their names bright,
A symbol of our courage, in full might.
Such men were not alone in their great quest,
For all who watched, felt their hearts possessed
By wonder, as they broke all binding ties,
And opened up the way to find new skies.
Thus, we recall, with reverence and pride,
The deeds of those who dared to take the tide
And venture forth, beyond our world once more,
To reach the stars, and explore, evermore.
Sanguine Collins born across the sea,
Being birthed in far off Italy
Moving around from here to there
Would bring him up as such to dare
To dream of reaching up to touch the sky
But never question when, or how, or why.
Fourteen men made up the group so few
The third such crew of those brave men who flew
With four of whom fated to meet their end
Before their time in space was fully penned.
Collins though, he would go on to launch
And ascended with a mind and heart so staunch
On missions of the twins he cut his teeth
Gemini, where he took his place beneath
The virile and robust Commander Young
Where he would fly and take his place among
Those brave enough to leave safety and walk
Outside the comfort of any airlock.
[Chorus]
Born across the seas, in Italy's land,
A sanguine spirit rose to take command.
From here to there, his life did roam,
But never swayed his heart from reaching home,
The skies so high, where stars may glean,
His dream to touch, with hands so clean.
A group of fourteen, so few in number,
The third to brave, the heavens' slumber.
Four fated to fall, before their time,
Their epic deeds, in history to chime.
But Collins stood, a heart so strong,
And in the face of danger, he went long.
He took his place, beneath the skies,
In Gemini, where valor never dies.
With virile grace, beside Commander Young,
Collins took flight, and with bravery begun.
To leave the safety of the airlock's hold,
And brave the dangers, with heart so bold.
Then on that fateful January day
On which the balance of the mission weigh
Against the will and measured people’s skill
Reminding all this isn’t some cheap thrill.
Sanguine Collins found himself alone
In front of Martha Chaffee’s empty home
To tell her of her husband’s fate so sad
Fire in the capsule on the pad.
Yet on that day in 1967
Before Apollo 1 had entered heav’n
The moon, its fate had already been sealed
As the zeal of those who would not yield
Grew stronger as the scars rehealed.
The journey there was not without its bumps
But Collins made it through, taking his lumps
Leg surgery kept him from taking up
But Sanguine Collins was not with empty cup
When Apollo 8 spent Christmas by the moon
Celebrating where they’d come so soon.
As CAPCOM he did serve to TLI
When the crew, to earth, had waved goodbye
And soon after announcements would be made
The early deaths of those could not dissuade
That three men would go onwards to explore
Collins the Forsaken at the fore.
The journey was not smooth, with trials to face,
But Sanguine Collins, steadfast, took his place,
Despite leg surgery, he did not shy,
And with Apollo 8, he touched the sky.
At Christmas time, they sailed 'round the moon,
Reveling in their triumph none too soon.
With voice firm, he served as link to earth,
When crew waved farewell at lunar berth,
Though loss had come to those who dared before,
Collins, steadfast, led the way once more.
From New Jersey, turned down MIT
Buzz Aldrin, the most faithful of the three.
From West Point he emerged a devout man
Serving God and country was the plan.
Engineer and pilot in the war
His combat skill had brought him to the fore.
Of combat missions he flew sixty-six
In Korea, which he did inflict
Many pilots with his Sabre passed
His courage and his heart steadfast.
Selected in the year of sixty-three
To join the corps, explorer soon to be
The faithful one was free to soar.
Steam launch catapulted to the fore.
On Gemini, the mission numbered twelve
Into the role of pilot he would delve.
The last mission of twins to fly so high
Signing that a lunar trip was nigh.
Setting records on an EVA
Demonstrating abilities to stay
And work outside the craft that took them there
Critical to living on the moon and dare
To return home to earth and live to tell the tale.
All other stories beside this one pale
The mighty miracle of human works
That took humanity with all its quirks
Out of our cradle into the vast expanse
Giving our survival a real chance.
In this great gamble hist’ry shan't forget
The efforts of the faithful and their sweat
The die was cast, the deities begat
The ball was hit by those who dared enough to bat.
[Chorus]
The faithful one took flight on Gemini's twelfth
Piloting the craft with practiced stealth.
And as an EVA he broke new ground
With skills to work outside the craft unbound
A vital step to lunar landings, hence
And live to tell of adventures dense.
The human quest to leave our cradle's bounds
And venture forth with courage un-resound
A mighty feat, a tale to be retold
Of human works more precious than pure gold.
The faithful's sweat and dared gamble we won't forget
The ball was struck, the fates were met
The hist'ry books shall sing their praise
And celebrate their courage for all of our days.
Gallant Armstrong, called “The Fearless One”
His skills and courage seconded by none.
Born one August night beneath the moon
Were he would land one July afternoon
He first flew at the tender age of five
In a plane, where he would get his drive
To push the boundaries of one's mind and space
Advancing at an ever quicker pace.
He earned his pilot's license at sixteen.
Before a driver's license he had seen.
In the Boy Scouts, he’d go on to earn
The rank of Eagle, where he’d start to learn
What it takes to accomplish tasks so great
To take mankind out of its starting gate.
He later went on forwards to pursue
a degree in aeronautics from Purdue.
Qualified for carrier landings there
The gallant one would fight from the air
In Korea where he first saw action
To danger, it seems, he found attraction.
All this before he left at twenty two
His navy life for a civilian one in lieu.
Where he returned to his old school Purdue
And found his only love so true.
“The Fearless One” did go on to fly
As a test pilot he would touch the sky
Over Edwards Air Force Base, with few
Prime candidates to leave the sky of blue
And travel into the black depths beyond
From earth’s gravity to go abscond.
In dangerous situations he would soar
Chronicled in Edward’s long folklore
Most technical of all the pilots there
His engineering skill without compare.
[Chorus]
He pushed the limits of man and space,
Advancing ever faster, at a steady pace.
An Eagle Scout, he learned what it takes,
To break humanity's earthly shackles.
Purdue's aeronautical degree he sought,
But MIT he spurned, for the Navy fought.
For four years, two were given, gracefully,
In service of his country, willingly.
Carrier landings he could now perform,
And in Korea, war he would transform.
Above Majon-ni, west of Wonsan,
His bombing run, anti-aircraft began.
Enemy fire struck, a dire scene,
His wing collided with a metal sheen.
Eject or crash, two choices there,
But the wind carried him over battlefields of air.
Recovery by helicopter was out of reach,
But a line of green jeeps, a sign of peace.
Seventy-eight missions he flew with might,
His enemies began to fear his sight.
The bombs he sent, precise, from above,
The fearless pilot, filled with purpose and love.
Twenty-two, he left his Navy life,
For a civilian one, with his true wife.
Back to Purdue he went, and found his love,
And as a test pilot, he took flight above.
Over Edwards Air Force Base, he soared,
Chronicled in tales forever stored.
The most technical of all the pilots there,
His engineering skills, without compare.
Then hearing that new astronauts were sought
Armstrong became excited at the thought
And prospect of experiencing things anew
A normal life of dullness to eschew
Though when his application showed up late
Friendship, not his grit, would seal his fate
His application slipped into the pile
And with that passing the first trial.
Gallant Armstrong underwent the tests
Despite the many vigorous protests
Of those who also undertook exams
Trying to join the novel space program.
Deke Slayton, mercury seven astronaut
Called the fearless one to fill the slot
In the new nine as the press would dub
The newest addition to the exclusive club
Of those who leave our terrestrial home
Out amongst the stars to roam.
Command pilot of the mission Gemini eight
The brave one sat, shot to orbit straight
By a Titan II rocket, leaving Earth behind
T’was on this mission he would go on to find
That sometimes space doesn't always play nice.
But those who fly know that you roll the dice
When your two feet step off of solid ground
And it’s to sky or space that you are bound.
Gallant Armstrong, in space he sought
With courage and skill, his fate was wrought.
A late application, but friendship prevailed,
As Deke Slayton, he of Mercury Seven hailed.
To join the program and leave our sphere,
With Earth behind, his journey, clear.
Gemini Eight, he commanded the flight,
With Titan II, he reached new heights.
In orbit, he proved his mettle so grand,
By mastering a crisis with a skillful hand.
The first to dock and complete the rendezvous,
But a faulty thruster, his plans would eschew.
Undocking the craft, he stopped the spin,
Preparing for reentry, a daring win.
On solid ground, a faulty thruster found,
His mission cut short, but his bravery renowned.
After the fiery deaths of Apollo 1’s crew
The astronauts assembled, in order to
Determine the best way to proceed
Who would step up and dare to take the lead?
In the aftermath of the fateful flames
That claimed the lives of three Apollo names,
The astronauts gathered, brave and strong,
To ponder how they would move along.
For not one of them wished to meet the same fate
And take the risk of a fiery blaze, to end their earthly state.
They sought a way to conquer their fears
And safely reach the heavens above the spheres.
They knew the dangers that lay ahead
And the courage it would take to succeed.
And so they asked who would be the one
To lead the way, to rise above and be the shining sun.
With heavy hearts, they weighed the risks
And debated who could best meet the tasks.
Who would be bold, who would be brave
To put their lives in peril, and their fate to save
The mission and their fellow men, who sought to soar
And explore the unknown, in search of something more.
And as they pondered, who would be the one
To carry forth the mission that was begun
By fallen friends, now honored and renowned
A voice rang out, clear as a battle sound:
"I'll take the lead," the brave astronaut cried,
With courage in his heart and fire in his eyes.
He stepped forward, ready to accept
The mantle of the mission, to not neglect
The duties of a hero, to explore
The boundless reaches of the sky and soar.
And so it was, the mission was revived
With this brave soul, for whom the sky had no divide.
He rose up, in defiance of the flame
With a heart of gold, he flew in the astronaut's name.
And when he looked back on the earth below,
He knew that his mission was one of a true hero.
[Chorus]
Oh, the astronauts! Their deeds renowned, in glory e'er endure,
As first to roam where none had dared to tread before.
Neil Armstrong, "The Fearless One," whose fateful steps with grace,
Marked a new era in the human race.
Buzz Aldrin, "The Faithful One," devout, with fervent zeal,
His spirit strong, his purpose clear, his courage did reveal.
And Michael Collins, "The Forsaken One," with sanguine heart and mind,
In lonely vigil 'round the moon, his courage did unwind.
These valiant souls took to the skies, on epic quest to roam,
Their daring deeds inspire all, to boldly venture forth from home.
But heroes though they were, behind their every step and rise,
There stood a host of guardians, the flight controllers of the skies.
With nerves of steel and steadfast will, to see their mission done,
They worked in harmony, the flight directors, second to none.
Let us give homage to these men, Cliff Charlesworth, Gene Kranz, and Glynn,
Who brought Apollo 11 to land, and safely home again.
Their names shall live in song and tale, in epic lore they'll stand,
Saluted as the unsung heroes of the greatest mission planned.
The poem continues here.