Laika

From here in my cage I see them make plans
Hear them reassure investors, shake presidents' hands
The men with machines put tubes into me
They measure my vital signs, my flight trajectory
They taught me to sit, taught me to lie down
Told me that a thousand years of wondering would end now
They fed me my last meal, was the same as my first
From here in my cage, I watch the men work

And now it's a flurry of lab coats and hurry
They talk about budgets and taxpayers' money
And I wag my tail and I be a good girl
They forgot to walk me this morning they were too busy changing the world
And I'm out from my cage and I'm trying to be brave
But the men they are sweating and now they're injecting
And as I awake
I'm shocked and amazed
At the sheer, crushing empty

And I look down on men's little earth, sitting there quietly, wondering what it's worth
And I drift away, but that's okay, there's more room to play out here than back in my cage

And I know I will die, but that is fine
Cause in some way I am helping mankind
And I don't understand, cause I'm not as smart as them
But even a parachute would have shown that they cared
And so I float on, space's only dog
Friend to the stars, pet of the Sun
From my little ship I dream of my bone
A walk in the park, something comfy to sleep on

And they call me laika but I'd just like to say
That I was born little curly and I'll die with that name