What are heroes ?
Bits of steel
And bronze and silver you can feel
With steady eye and chiseled chin
Iron muscle, leather skin.
Their marvels are for all to see
They step where others dare not be
To save us all from anarchy
Or monarchy - or democracy...
Do not question their master plan
Or try to psych the metal man
Because he has a hollow brain
And tarnishes quickly in the rain.

What are explorers?
Men who are bold
Who strive and struggle in the cold

To find the place not yet discovered,
Return the treasures not yet recovered
To place their names upon a feature
Or assign it to some new found-creature.
The world is always far away
In the mind of this marvelous man of clay
Because he's not involved, you see,
In the problems of humanity...
And so he shuns society
While craving notoriety.

What are pilots?
Men of wings
Who soar in space and do the things
That earthbound mortals would not try
Because they think God's in the sky.
So pilots do their darings feats
In the air, and under the sheets,
As their reward for taking flight

What are astronauts?
And what am I?
Hero, pilot, explorer, in love
With myself and my work,
Unheeding the many dangers that lurk
In outer space or here on earth
I accept all as due my birth;
Magnificent performance, on lunar surface
Belies my need of an earthly purpose,
Accepting gifts as my just reward
Taking grey money to be on the board.
I do my job way out in space
But, God forgive, the friends erased.