Once upon a starship
dreary, while Ipondered, weak and weary,
Over many a switch
and wire, while still remained there many more,
While I tinkered,
often napping, suddenlythere came a tapping,
As of a hydrospanner
gently rapping,rapping on my airlock door.
"'Tis some meteorites,"
I muttered," hitting at my airlock door.
Not too many-- three orfour.
Back to my repair
work turning, my fingeron a welder burning,
Soon again I
heard a tapping, somewhatlouder than before.
"Surely," thought
I, "surely an asteroidfield is near."
"Let me see,
then, if I need fear;these asteroids I'll explore.
Let my repairs
wait for a moment whileI do explore."
Empty space and nothingmore.
Quickly I cycle
the pumps of the airlock,when with many a snort and squawk.
Out there jumped
an ugly mynock, steppedout and gave a little roar.
Not the least
respect he gave me; nota nanosecond stopped or stayed he,
But with the
air of an Imperial Moff,perched above the airlock door,
Perched upon
a blaster rifle just abovethe airlock door.
Sat
and chewed, and nothingmore.
The ugly critter,
not once beguilingmy disgusted fancy into smiling,
Sat and slobbered
on the airlock door.
"Although my
stay was rather short,I must have picked it up in port."
The mynock regarded
me and gave a snort,as if he knew he'd met my kind before.
"Get off my ship!"
I yelled at last,and picked up the nearest two-by-four.
Quoth the mynock, "Nevermore."
I was on my way
to Beggars' Canyon,and didn't want a long-term companion,
And although
I'd never heard a mynockspeak before,
I decided that
I would rather be
Safe and sound
and sane than sorry.
I raised the
heavy board above me,and swung it at the airlock door.
The board went
flying through the air,resounding on the door.
The mynock fluttered tothe floor.
I stood and gloated
over its body, withan air as proud and haughty
As a guard outside
a high Imperialofficer's door.
I wondered then
how he might see me,if this is how he meant to leave me,
By dying on my
starship floor.
And I told him
he'd be dead quite shortly,dead upon my starship floor.
Quoth the mynock, "Nevermore."
Prospects of sanity
were looking bleak:I thought I heard a mynock speak!
I looked once
more at the creaturelying on the floor.
Pondering over
what the mynock said,I told myself, "It's all in my head,"
And raising the
board I struck himdead, dead upon my starship floor.
And spoke the mynock nevermore.