Meadows of the motherland, Your farmer's ashes sown By fallen stars, Bear mankind another strand Of unearthly dreamings grown From earthly scars. "killers all!" he cried, Flames clawing at his throat Through melted fore. Hands jut from stygian tide Upon the ferryman's boat, Dashed on the shore. Shrieks of the atmosphere Deafened the engineer, Vessel now commandeered. By twisted chute. Thoughts to his warnings spurned, Promised a safe return, Brezhnev's plan unconcerned By wild fears Voiced by a mute. Call To grieving wife, Family left below. Governemt strife: Father in Thrall. His daughter's grin While plaing in the snow. Solar panels Undeployed. Radio channels, Lost in void. Foretold to fail, Rode on a stallion pale. Orbit 19., Ordered home. Blue and the green, Roads to rome. Oreintation From the sun, Ion propulsion Manually run. Halt The second launch, Thunder from the squall. Future blood staunched, Rain's blessed Fault: Three crewmen spared Ther companion's fall. The calm of space. Aurora borealis, Fire of spirits passed, To cleanse of human malice Man's rise into the vast. Burn, burn the ties that bind Mortals to the terrence rind. Yearn, yearn to part the skies, Upon an ark of sullen eyes. He cursed the dust That bore him [screaming] Bastard child abandoned to the clouds. "compost for the kremlin wall., Fed to blooms on lenin's grave... Marvel as we heroes crawl To our deaths so bravel!" Said yuri to solemn friend. "soyuz will be a martur's end." "you cannot die in my stead," He replied. "you bring the moon." He turned, hiding tears he'd shed, And walked to his tomb. Gagarin unsheathed his cross, And prayed to sway a brother's loss. This too shall pass. In bygone meadows of the motherland A laborer boy studies planes gone by. The unearthly dreamings of a framhand To pluck the planets from a fertile sky.