To Enterprise

I have a habit of reading what ever is handy during bouts of insomnia. This has lead me to read a microbiology text book, several volumes of poetry which I would not read if not bored, a car manual (don't ask make and model) and text books on geology, physics, teaching methods, a history of numbers (I know. & I HATE math!) and a host of things that I don't remember reading until a trivia question pops up on the board at Beaners.

While Pam was at Northern and we roomed for a while, I was left alone one dark, windy, snow-pelted night. It was a rare evening when the fellowship didn't meet and my bestest friend had gone home to Wisconsin. All I could hear from our second floor flat was the wail of a Superior gale and the lonesome forboding call of the local light. There was too much snow for the train to run so no whistle broke the night. It was desolate. I was desolate. So I looked to Pam's bookshelf to find new friends I could co-opt. All of her school books were in the apartment as she was at work. I noticed a volume of Wordsworth. It was the only book she had from one of Mr. Trapp's classes that she had brought with her to college. I began reading.
Normally, I'm not a poetry person. Ozimondius, Ode on a Grecian Urn and Dover being noteable exceptions. Oh... and the epic poem delivered by Berem, the green gemstone man in Dragons of Winter Night. There was something about the first few of Wordsworths poems that said "kindred" and I kept reading. I don't know if you are familiar with his work... but he wrote copiously. So after about three hours I started to riffle through the titles. I found an intriguing title. Of course, I had started reading the book by looking into his biography and the editors notes so I knew that my first instinct was wrong. But perhaps this was a case of foreshadowing.
Either that or I really am insane and see Star Trek references behind every door. Still, after getting to the second stanza I had no doubt that Gene Roddenberry had once read this poem. Whether or not it had any impact on the name I do not know. Enterprise is a victorian word that also means, endeavor, opportunity, venture, challenge, quest, oddessey... some of these names should sound familiar. Of course, the poem could just be about life's instances.

Bold Spirit! who art free to rove

among the starry courts of Jove

and oft in splendor dost appear

embodied to poetic eyes

while traversing this nethersphere

where mortals call thee ENTERPRISE