"Zere is a story
in a film
a boy's willage
dead from disease
the boy's father
a bell maker
of wide reknown
the prince there seeks
his agents take
the boy who says
he can make bells
with father's keys
who gave to him
before he died
the secret to
bell's ringing peak
the kolokol
needs people, clay
needs pits dug wide
needs furnace made
the boy nineteen
and craftsman they
build cast
pour molten alloy
silver, bronze
crack open mold
clean, scour, polish
hoist up the bell
for judgement from
the tyrant prince-
The bell rings pure.
The boy he cries.
His father never
gave him keys
he built the bell
flying blind
risking his life
and craftsman's lease
the bell, if failed
would spell the sound
of all their deaths
deficiencies
unforgiven
metal bound
silver mixed
impurities.
I am nineteen
I know the sound
of warp core engines
the hum they make
I do not know
how to make them
I do not know
all the relays
Scotty and Keenser
they were gone
the engine groaned
I pulled the brake
Keptan asked me
to patch a fix
to keep us flying
to keep awake
I tried ewerything
and realigned
the engine she
gave all she had
if we were not
attacked in warp
we would haf reached
our home launch pad
sometimes you give
more than your all
it fails
there is nothing you
can say to that
except face falling
burning up
listen for death
acknowledge that
you risked it all
for moment's sound
of kolokol
giving life's years.
When engine failed
I somehow found
the Keptan, Scotty
hanging in air
I pulled
I don't know how
I pulled them up
I remember fear.
I remember terrifying fear
it gave me strength
to do what I
could never do
as I appear.
The last fall up
Keptan, he found
one more thing
to give to bells
he climbed the tower
took the tongue
realigned
and made it knell
I lived again
to hear the hum
he died without
telling to me
the secret of
the silver drum
for that I cried
for that I weep."