(First day
Last night
Beginning of the end
Of the Twilight Flight.)
In a remote subterranean retreat
They had all gathered to meet
The last of Men and Djinn
With the utmost discretion
They huddled in session
To ponder this predicament they were in
"This is it, we are through
There is nothing we could do,"
Spoke up, the leader of Men
"That is not so"
Said the Djinn
"are we not safe here within?
Lеt us try to prolong our end!"
"But it is much too hard
To defy the will of God
Wе must all submit
For if we are doomed to die
Then the least we could do is try
Not to do just the opposite"
"Nay," said the Djinn
"Are we not kith and kin?
Why must it end right here?
We should try to escape
And avoid this fate
And conquer a new frontier!
Come let us take our place out there in space -
Out there among the stars...
Before our efforts become void
And we are totally destroyed when Pluto conjects
Neptune, squares Mars!
Nay, but fear not men
For I have devised a plan that is designed to save us all!
And we have summoned the prefect of... uh... ecological defect who we feel can check our fall...
His name is Sir Mannequin
An android djinn
Programmed in an another lands
He can be ducked in a deuce
Manufactured and produced
And he's made in the likeness of the man!
He has cunning and guile and is versatile
And can adapt to any kind of situation
And neither heat nor cold can affect his control
Or cause his deterioration
He will outlive you and I
In fact he can never physically die;
Being capable of duplicate reproductions
From autonomous moving parts
To cybernetic solar hearts
And he's been programmed to follow instructions
We are dispatching him
To conduct a test
And then notify as to what the results manifest
Before we can conclude our preparations to leave
And then if his information proves correct we will know what to expect and what our space-unit vehicles can achieve!
They can travel at the speed of sub-light
And are capable of indefinite flight
Anywhere within the universe
The only thing that we don't know
Is will our gravity let us go?
And that's what we've got to find out first
But this, hopefully we'll learn
Upon Sir Mannequin's return
Along with the results of his environmental treks
Meanwhile we'll survey the scene
With our teleport beam
And from there decide what he should do next!"
"Well we opt to decline,"
Said Man
"we'd rather return to the land
Where at least we can die in peace
You see, we stopped living in fear
Of what lies out there
Since the sun stopped rising in the east."
"Then so be it,"
Said the Djinn
"it's your skin!
Just remember there's no way you can come out of this alive
Only a fool would rather die than to give up without a try
Not to fight for the chance to survive
However, there's still a little time for you to change your mind
And leave with us instead
But this is your last chance to reverse your stance
Before you condemn yourselves to the dead!"
"Then be so advised that man that has been already decided
And we are all united in the course we've chosen to take
Therefore, let's make this brief, for we are seeking relief
From this life that we must all forsake
You see we comprehend that this is the end
And we must prepare for when it arrives
So we bid you farewell from this fortified cell
That you think will save your lives"
"Open the airlock,"
Commanded the Djinn
"and let them begin their sacrificial suicide
For soon we'll be gone
There'll be none left to mourn
These fools when they have died."
Into a labyrinth of tunnels
And cylinder shaped funnels
They proceeded without delay
Strapped on pressurized suits
With air-propelled boots
They hastily get underway
In single file, they hurtle mile after mile, the heavy lamps glow...
But resolute in their purchase
To reach the top of the surface
From 12,000 feet below
Each praying for one last breath
Before tasting death
And a glimpse up at the sky
And each seeking no reward
But mercy from the Lord
And all preferring to die!
Last night
Beginning of the end
Of the Twilight Flight.)
In a remote subterranean retreat
They had all gathered to meet
The last of Men and Djinn
With the utmost discretion
They huddled in session
To ponder this predicament they were in
"This is it, we are through
There is nothing we could do,"
Spoke up, the leader of Men
"That is not so"
Said the Djinn
"are we not safe here within?
Lеt us try to prolong our end!"
"But it is much too hard
To defy the will of God
Wе must all submit
For if we are doomed to die
Then the least we could do is try
Not to do just the opposite"
"Nay," said the Djinn
"Are we not kith and kin?
Why must it end right here?
We should try to escape
And avoid this fate
And conquer a new frontier!
Come let us take our place out there in space -
Out there among the stars...
Before our efforts become void
And we are totally destroyed when Pluto conjects
Neptune, squares Mars!
Nay, but fear not men
For I have devised a plan that is designed to save us all!
And we have summoned the prefect of... uh... ecological defect who we feel can check our fall...
His name is Sir Mannequin
An android djinn
Programmed in an another lands
He can be ducked in a deuce
Manufactured and produced
And he's made in the likeness of the man!
He has cunning and guile and is versatile
And can adapt to any kind of situation
And neither heat nor cold can affect his control
Or cause his deterioration
He will outlive you and I
In fact he can never physically die;
Being capable of duplicate reproductions
From autonomous moving parts
To cybernetic solar hearts
And he's been programmed to follow instructions
We are dispatching him
To conduct a test
And then notify as to what the results manifest
Before we can conclude our preparations to leave
And then if his information proves correct we will know what to expect and what our space-unit vehicles can achieve!
They can travel at the speed of sub-light
And are capable of indefinite flight
Anywhere within the universe
The only thing that we don't know
Is will our gravity let us go?
And that's what we've got to find out first
But this, hopefully we'll learn
Upon Sir Mannequin's return
Along with the results of his environmental treks
Meanwhile we'll survey the scene
With our teleport beam
And from there decide what he should do next!"
"Well we opt to decline,"
Said Man
"we'd rather return to the land
Where at least we can die in peace
You see, we stopped living in fear
Of what lies out there
Since the sun stopped rising in the east."
"Then so be it,"
Said the Djinn
"it's your skin!
Just remember there's no way you can come out of this alive
Only a fool would rather die than to give up without a try
Not to fight for the chance to survive
However, there's still a little time for you to change your mind
And leave with us instead
But this is your last chance to reverse your stance
Before you condemn yourselves to the dead!"
"Then be so advised that man that has been already decided
And we are all united in the course we've chosen to take
Therefore, let's make this brief, for we are seeking relief
From this life that we must all forsake
You see we comprehend that this is the end
And we must prepare for when it arrives
So we bid you farewell from this fortified cell
That you think will save your lives"
"Open the airlock,"
Commanded the Djinn
"and let them begin their sacrificial suicide
For soon we'll be gone
There'll be none left to mourn
These fools when they have died."
Into a labyrinth of tunnels
And cylinder shaped funnels
They proceeded without delay
Strapped on pressurized suits
With air-propelled boots
They hastily get underway
In single file, they hurtle mile after mile, the heavy lamps glow...
But resolute in their purchase
To reach the top of the surface
From 12,000 feet below
Each praying for one last breath
Before tasting death
And a glimpse up at the sky
And each seeking no reward
But mercy from the Lord
And all preferring to die!
( The Last Poets )
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