Guardians

He wasn’t quite sure what went wrong, just that the engines blew
And flung him hard against the wall, and him the only crew
He felt like he’d been broke in half, he passed out twice from pain
And when he heard the voices, he was sure he’d gone insane

Just two of them at first it was, and then a dozen more
He blinked to see two women kneel beside him on the floor
He thought they might be angels, but they weren’t like angels much
No wings, no robes, just plain grey spacer coveralls and such

“You’re not dead yet, my friend, and it’s not quite your time to go,”
The first one said, “now look, your rescue beacon’s down below
It says that there’s another ship, not far away at all
You’ve still got two good arms, my friend, so grit your teeth and crawl.”

They winked out then, the pain clamped down, he thought he’d know no more
Another one appeared, and sat beside him on the floor
“Come on, tovarisch!” this one urged, “you’ll make it, I don’t doubt
Show me some of those Yankee guts I’ve heard so much about.”

It seemed to take eternity to crawl from here to there
The pain at least a hundred times was more than he could bear
But every time he’d start to quit, lie down, give up, and die
Another would appear before him, urging him to try

He reached the beacon in a daze of fever-mist and pain
He hit the activator, and he saw them once again
“Remember, friend,” the woman said, “when death is closing fast
It’s then you try your hardest, for the darkness will not last.”

He passed out then, the rescue came, and brought him safely home
And he forgot it all until he got to Lunardome
He passed beneath the hologram that stands above the door
And recognised the faces there, he’d seen them all before

Gus, and Ed, and Roger made him hold to hope and try
The Russians, Ronald, Christa too, they wouldn’t let him die
He knew whose words had saved him, and he knew that in the end
He’d go to join their company and greet them as a friend