(for Alan Tudyk)
They said there was a sea of stars beyond the leaden sky;
Wash heard those stars call out to him, and determined he would fly.
He made his way to flight school, and there he got the chance
To get above the leaden clouds, and watch the stellar dance.
He learned to make an airborne brick float like a hummingbird,
And he held on to his sanity by seeking the absurd…
It started out as just a job, another ship to fly,
But nothing’s ever simple when you share Mal Reynolds’ sky.
The smuggling didn’t bother him; he’d played that game before,
And he’d had to deal, a time or two, with veterans of the war.
The money wasn’t wonderful, but Mal’s X.O. was hot,
And if this gig did not work out, he’d find another spot…
Down the line, they got to him, Mal Reynolds and his crew;
Kaylee gave the ship a soul (it’s crazy, but it’s true)
By some demented miracle, the X.O. became his wife
(Over Mal’s objections, a source of no small strife).
If Mal owns Zoe’s soul, Wash has her body, and her heart,
And he’d be first to tell you he has far the better part.
A pilot’s place is at the helm, not scrabbling though the mud;
A pilot shouldn’t have to deal with gunfire, sweat, and blood.
But things just don’t go smoothly with Mal Reynolds on your side,
And Wash has learned to take his lumps without a break in stride.
He has a home and family; he has a ship to fly,
And the stars he used to dream about are always in his sky.
Paul Haynie
1/30/2003