I wrote the following poem a few years ago. It seems fitting to share it now, since Niel Armstrong died yesterday.
Lunar Dreams
By Cigam Mai – July 21, 2009
(Written to commemorate the 40th anniversary of man's first steps on the Moon)
"You won't reach the moon!" the critics would say.
It seems, where angels fear, you'll oft find fools.
Fools with poor computers to chart their way
The tools back then: engineering slide rules.
The Russians claimed a scientific win,
But a grander goal, Kennedy would tout:
"Easy to orbit some sputnik-type tin,
But we'll walk on the moon, by ten years out!"
Amazingly, we've proven that we can
Pursue, and yes, catch the dreams of our mind
By our self, it's: "One small step for a man,"
Together: "One giant leap for mankind!"
Here's to the millions of people who shared
As they listened at home or in their cars
Though humans may be by gravity snared,
We look up and dream of flights to the stars.
Forty years later, where did it go wrong?
Space-junk… high over clouds of white cotton;
Footprints left by Commander Neil Armstrong;
The Moon's great promise… all but forgotten.
There's no indication or any sign
That men will walk in the lunar dust soon,
But, the summer of nineteen-sixty-nine
We saw men walk on the face of the moon.
Our fate is not to be safe, it would **em.
Our destiny is really so much more.
We take that small step, deciding to dream;
We make that giant leap… when we explore!
26-Aug-2012 10:15:13
- Last edited on
26-Aug-2012 10:17:29
by
Cigam Mai
